The Change, For Better or For Worse
by Madness to My Methods
Summary: It's the summer before 5th year and Harry arrives at Grimmauld Place. Everyone's in for a shock because Harry has changed, for better or for worse.
1. The Black Home

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Potterverse. If you think I do, get your head checked for wrackspurts.**

**Author's Note: So I know I should be working on my other stories but this wouldn't leave me alone until I put it up.**

**So review when you're done, it'll make my day a little bit brighter. Tell me your thoughts on how to make this better and if you find any errors or inconsistencies whatsoever. Or if you have a better title, I kinda pulled this one from thin air. This story takes place at the beginning of OotP.**

**Happy Reading!**

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The Change, Better or For Worse

Chapter One: The Black Home

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"You'll be sharing with Ron," Mrs. Weasley told Harry as she shooed him up the stairs in number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Harry walked up the stairs and watched as the Weasley matriarch rushed toward the kitchen.

Harry sighed and continued up the stairs in the dark and gloomy home and made sure not to touch anything at all just in case. He stopped at curtains that covered part of the wall.

"You must be a portrait," he murmured to himself as he reached out to open the curtains. He opened the curtains and saw that he was correct upon seeing an older woman that looked like she was about to screech. He put his finger to his lips to signal that she should be quiet. She looked at him curiously.

"Who might you be, milady?" Harry asked the portrait quietly.

"I," the portrait said arrogantly. "Am the Lady Walburga Black and I demand to know who you are."

"Pleasure to meet you Lady Black. I am the last remaining direct descendant of the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Bryant and am therefore Lord Potter-Bryant. May I inquire whether or not an Ancient and Noble house such as this has a house elf?"

"We do indeed have a house elf, Lord Potter. The current elf's name is Kreacher and shall willingly serve you per my request. May I ask Lord Potter why you are wearing such dreadful clothing?" Walburga Black asked sniffing at Harry's clothes with disdain.

"Alas Lady Black, it is upon a very large misfortune that I am wearing these rags that can no longer be called clothing. But I shall tell you more about that later, perhaps in a more private setting such as a library, surely an ancient house such as this has one." Walburga nodded her assent.

"Is there a room, milady, that I can stay in that would allow me privacy and comfort?"

"Yes there is. You may stay in my late son Regulus' room."

"I offer my condolences milady. If you could call your elf to take my things to the room it should allow me to change my attire to something more appropriate much faster," Harry gently suggested.

"Of course, of course milord. Kreacher!"Lady Black called for her elf quietly and with a pop an old, dirty, and extremely ugly elf appeared.

Upon seeing Harry, the elf began to mutter to itself, "Another one? What a messy and poor brat he is." Harry gave the elf a glare and sneer worthy of Snape.

"Kreacher!" Walburga admonished the elf. "You shall not speak to Lord Potter in such a way. You shall behave and do whatever Lord Potter-Bryant tells you. Treat him as you would your Master because for all intents and purposes he is your Master. Now take Lord Potter's things to Regulus' old room and make sure he is comfortable. Remove all of Regulus' things to make room for Lord Potter's. Now go!" Kreacher bowed to his Mistress and new master and left with Harry's things.

"Thank you Lady Black. It is much appreciated. Shall we continue our discussion later this week?"

Lady Black nodded and curtsied to Harry and her curtains closed. After a moment Harry realized he had no idea where Regulus' room was when Kreacher appeared and motioned for him to follow.

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When they reached Harry's new room he was surprised to see it was actually spotless compared to the rest of the house. Seeing Harry's inquiring look, Kreacher proceeded to tell him he cleaned it to make it more comfortable for Harry and popped away. Harry walked up to his trunk and pulled out some black jeans, a button down black shirt with a small red design on the inside of the collar, a red leather jacket, and boots that complimented his outfit and his looks quite nicely.

Harry walked out of his room, looked at the walls and then approached a painting hanging on the wall. He quickly read the inscription and introduced himself to the portrait of one Cassiopeia Black. After a few moments of idle chit chat, he asked where Sirius was seeing as this was Sirius' home. The portrait told him he would find Sirius in his bedroom just down the hall and to the left. He thanked the portrait politely and knocked on Sirius' door.

He heard some grumbling and the door opened to reveal a man in his mid-thirties but looked like he had been through helm and back but looked much nicer since the last time Harry saw him.

"Wha-Harry! It's so good to see you! I didn't know you had arrived! The Order meeting just ended. Come in, come in!" Harry walked in, surveyed his surroundings and raised an eyebrow at Sirius. He had the common sense to blush.

"Rebellion from my teen years," he offered up as explanation. "How'd you find me?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence.

Harry grinned, "I asked your Great Aunt Cassiopeia. Nice lady by the way. Was she a gossiper back in the day?"

Sirius looked slightly stunned at the thought of Cassiopeia being nice but answered his godson, "Yes she was. Not that the Blacks ever gossiped. How dare you even compare it to something so peasant like." Sirius joked with Harry and caught up with him and told Harry things about the Order and Voldemort that would probable make Mrs. Weasley yell at him. Not that Harry didn't already have all the information offered up to him. In return Harry told Sirius about his summer, his attire, and other meaningless things.

He then asked Sirius something that had been bugging him since he had walked into the house. "Sirius, why is the house so filthy?"

"It hasn't been cleaned since my dear mother died ten years ago."

"But don't you have a house elf? This is a pureblood home after all."

Sirius made a noise of disgust. "He hasnt cleaned at all since I've been back. And when he does because you ordered him, he does a horrible job."

"Let me try something. What's his name?" Harry smirked.

"Kreacher," Sirius told him, not believing Harry could make the elf do anything.

Harry called the elf and waited for him to appear. After Kreacher bowed at each of them, Harry started his list of orders.

"Kreacher I want you to clean this house and make it spotless. It should only take you a few days but you have until the coming Sunday. I want you to buy some cloth and make yourself and appropriate uniform bearing the Black family crest. This is not to be considered you receiving clothes. You are not to talk to anyone except those you are buying the cloth from. You shall not reveal anything you have learned about the inhabitants of this house. You will return here immediately after you obtain your supplies. After making your uniform you shall clean the house in the allotted time I have given you. You will bring Sirius and I all meals until the kitchen is spotless with the exception of tonight. The house is disgusting and I refuse to eat in a place that is not completely sanitary. You will purchase muggle kitchen appliances and install them correctly and make them resistant to magic. I know you can do it because I have. You will cease your muttering and disrespect. You will not betray my secrets or Sirius' secrets to anyone in or out of this house.

"You will do as you are told by Sirius, myself and your mistress. You will also bring me Peter Pettigrew alive. I do not care what state he is in as long as he can be made coherent and given potions, start this taske as soon as you are done with the others. If you deliberately cause serious harms to anyone in this house unless you are directly told in an order or betray any of our secrets, I shall find myself another house elf and your head will not be placed on the wall where your ancestors' heads are and I shall send you to a Muggleborn Hufflepuff. Do I make myself clear elf?"

The elf shuddered at the threat but nodded his head none the less and Sirius looked shocked and slightly proud of his godson. He had questions but they could wait.

"Good. Can I use magic in this house without it being detected by the ministry?" Kreacher nodded his head again but Harry was having none of it. "You are to answer my questions honestly and aloud, unless told otherwise by myself or Sirius. You have a voice so use it. Now answer my question, Kreacher."

"Yes, Master Harry. You are able to use magic in the home of the Blacks," Kreacher croaked.

"Very good Kreacher. You may go get your supplies now." The elf disappeared with a pop.

"H-How?" Harry smirked at his godfather and answered with a simple statement of "Magic."

"Why'd you make him add the crest?" Sirius asked him.

"Well it's simple really. He works for the Blacks which an old pureblood line and he'd want to advertise that right?" Sirius nodded in understanding.

Before either one could say anything a crash and some screeching was heard from the floor below them. They rushed downstairs as Mrs. Black yelled.

"HALF BLOODS! BLOOD TRAITORS AND MUDBLOODS! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY HOME WITH YOUR FILTHY PRESENCE? HALF BR-" Mrs. Black cut off quickly when she saw Harry appear in the back of the crowd and quickly snapped her curtains shut at his disapproving glare. Everyone turned to see what caused the yelling to cease and saw Harry and Sirius standing at the back of the crowd.

"Harry!" Hermione flung herself on Harry. He stiffened and made no move to hug her back but she didn't notice or chose to ignore it. "When did you get here? Why didn't you come say hello? Where's your stuff? We'll take it to the room you're sharing with Ron. It's so good to-" She was cut off by Ron.

"Let the man breathe Hermione. He just got here we'll talk during dinner." He gently began to lead her away with a nod in Harry's direction. Harry shared a glance with Sirius and they went downstairs.

"You should sit at the head," Harry whispered harshly to Sirius as went to sit further down the table. Sirius raised in eyebrow making him look like aristocrat he was born to be. "You're head of this house, Sirius. Act like it you may just find yourself with more say in the way things are run."

They all sat down at the table with the food Mrs. Weasley made. Sirius had taken Harry's words to heart and sat at the head of the table with Harry to his left and Tonks to his right without really thinking about it. Lupin sat next to Tonks and the Weasley twins sat next to Harry, with George closest to him. Next to the twins sat Arthur with a seat saved next to him for Molly. Next to Lupin were Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Bill and Mundungus sat in the two available seats. No one really questioned the seating arrangements except for Hermione, who gave them a questioning look when she saw Harry sitting closer to the twins than her and Ron.

"How did the muggles treat you this summer, Harry?" Ginny asked Harry with a smile in his direction.

Harry shrugged, "Fine. We had an agreement this summer."

"What type of agreement?" Hermione asked.

Harry rolled his eyes but shrugged yet again, "Just an agreement."

"Harry," Hermione said sternly.

"So Hermione how was your summer? I really didn't find out much from your letters," Harry asked her nonchalantly, throwing in the subtle dig just for his amusement.

"Harry I really wanted to tell you everything but Professor Dumbledore-"

"Yeah mate," Ron injected. "We had to swear we wouldn't tell you anything."

Harry held up his hand to silence them, noticing how quiet the room got when he had asked Hermione about her summer. "We'll discuss this some other time. I want to enjoy my meal right now." And he went back to eating. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all gaped at him along with some others while the twins, Sirius, and Tonks had to smother laughter at their faces.

"Sirius? You don't normally sit there, why are you sitting there now?" Hermione asked Sirius, getting over her shock and sending a quick glare at Harry, that he ignored of course.

"Because I can," Sirius answered her vaguely. This wasn't good enough for Hermione so she asked, "But why?"

"Do you have a problem with it?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but-" Hermione was cut off by George, surprisingly.

"He's sitting there. Hermione, because that's where the head of a family sits, and Sirius is the head of his family, and beside him are his closest family members, including his heir. Does the muggle world not have the same seating arrangement?" George told the dumbstruck muggleborn, showing his knowledge of pureblood etiquette. Even if they were blood traitors, this was something their Great Aunt Muriel drilled into their brains, including table manners; manners you wouldn't know they had watching Ron eat. It all seemed to go into one ear and out the other with Ron.

"It's only the same at formal events in the muggle world, George," Harry said. "It only happens at upper class dinner parties, but in informal gatherings everyone sits where they want although the head of house does usually gravitate for the head of the table." George nodded at Harry and Arthur looked positively excited to learn something about the muggle world that was similar to the wizarding world.

"You'd know all about dinner parties and formal events eh, Potter?" Mudungus asked.

"You obviously don't," Harry said eyeing Dung's clothes with distaste. "Fletcher is it?" At Dung's nod he continued. "I suggest you put that goblet, knife, and flask that's in your front left pocket onto the table and anything else you plan on taking from this house."

"What are you talking about Potter? I ain't got nuttin'," Dung defended himself.

"Yes you do. Please do as I said because if you leave this house with anything belonging to the Black family and you weren't given express permission from Sirius or me then the wards will activate and you may find yourself in a spot of trouble. I heard the wards are pretty nasty around this house, you may just end up missing body parts. I also think you should find anything else you may haven taken." Dung nervously pulled several things from his pockets and placed them on the table.

Harry nodded at him. "And I ever find out that you try to steal anything from this house again, the wards will be the least of your problems." Harry's voice dropped down to a deadly whisper that was easily heard in the silence of the room. "Remember Fletcher, I'm a very powerful and influential person, I can make it so don't exist anymore." A few people gasped, Hermione and Molly being one of them.

"Are you threatening me Potter?" Fletcher asked, trying to put up a brave front but he was actually shaking. "What are you gonna do kill me?"

"No you'll be very much alive. Mudungus Fletcher will just cease to exist. There will be absolutely no record of you, meaning you won't have access to any house, since you know, you don't exist to be keyed into wards and such." Harry stood up and as he was walking by Dung he stopped and said. "It wasn't a threat by the way, it was a promise. And you should know, I don't make promises I can't keep." Harry left a scared and trembling Mudungus Fletcher, a proud and slightly amused Sirius, Tonks, and Remus, a confused Arthur and Ron, an expressionless Bill, a shocked Fred and George, and an angry Hermione, Ginny and Molly.

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HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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After getting over the shock, the two youngest Weasleys and an irate Hermione Granger went upstairs to the room they though Harry was sharing with Ron, so Hermione and Ginny could rip him a new one. When they got to the room, Hermione was about to begin ranting about how irresponsible Harry was being when they heard a chuckle from behind them. They turned and saw a portrait of Professor Phineas Nigellus Black.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked the portrait. Phineas immediately stopped chuckling.

"Did you really think he was going to come here and share a room with you? He does know you better than you may think," the former Headmaster said.

"And you know where he is?" Hermione asked the portrait calmly.

"Of course I do, mudblood. The portraits know everything that goes on in the Noble and Ancient House of Black," he sneered at her.

"Don't you call her that! Now tell us where Harry is. We want to speak with him," Ginny yelled at the portrait. Phineas' eyes hardened and became cold as he glared at the Weasley girl.

"How dare you try to command me, Phineas Nigellus Black! You are worth nothing in this house little girl. You have no right to try to command me! Only the lord and heir of this house can command me. If I wanted it, I could prevent you from entering any room in this house and force you to sleep on the hallway floor if I wished. So I suggest you shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

"Don't speak to her like that!" Ron shouted when the door banged into the wall.

"What is going on in here?" Molly yelled.

"Mum he called Hermione a mudblood!"

"Mrs. Wesley he won't tell us where Harry is!"

"Mum he was being rude to Ginny!" Somehow Molly heard everything that the three started yelling and she responded by yelling. It became complete chaos as the four occupants started yelling, which awoke Mrs. Black's portrait, and began bringing other people into the room that joined into the chaos.

"ENOUGH!" Harry yelled as he came upon the disorder in Ron's room. Everyone immediately became quiet. "Will someone tell me what's going on?" He said as Sirius walked up behind him.

Ron immediately jumped in. "The portrait called Hermione a mudblood and called Ginny worthless."

"And he wouldn't tell us where you were!" Ginny added.

"Why would you need to know where I was?" Harry asked.

"That's irrelevant," Hermione said quickly.

"Well obviously it's not if Ginny thought it was important enough to add to the conversation." Harry said coolly.

"He called Ginny worthless and Hermione a mudblood and that's all you have to say? Why did we want to know where you were? We're your friends Harry and we wanted to talk to you." Ron said angrily. Harry turned to Phineas.

"Professor Black, did you call Hermione a mudblood and Ginny worthless?" Harry asked the former Head of the Blacks.

"Yes I did," He answered simply. A few people muttered angrily. Harry put his hand up silencing them.

"May I know why?"

"The Granger girl wanted to know where you were when she has no right to know-"

"No right? I have a right to know where my best friend is!" Hermione retorted.

"Be quiet, Hermione! This goes for everyone, if I get any more interruptions I will walk away from you all and let you deal with the mess you started. Please continue, Professor."

Black glared at Hermione. "Well as I was saying, she had no right to know and when I refused the blood traitor girl decided to try to command me to tell your whereabouts. I told them that I only answered to the Lord and Heir of the House of Black. I request that the Weasley brat is moved out of my room tonight."

"Thank you for your help, Professor. He will be moved immediately," Harry thanked the portrait.

"No thank you, Lord Potter. You have done this house a great service and should you ever need assistance anything in this house will grant you it," the professor smirked and left his portrait to inform the others that the true Heir has returned and to confirm the rumors among the portraits since he had placated Walburga when he arrived.

Harry turned to the rest of the room. "You heard the man! Out of this room! Ron, grab your stuff, your being moved. To where you're being moved to will be up to…" he looked around and smirked. "Where you're moved to will be up the twins," he finished and turned on his heel to leave when he caught a glimpse of the identical smirks. Harry grinned and walked away with Sirius close behind. They both smiled when they heard the twins, "Let's go Ronniekins. We know just the place for you."

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	2. Business with the Twins

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.**

**Author's Note: I would like to thank everyone who story alerted/favorite, reviewed and read my story. Some of you have some really interesting, original names with really interesting, original spelling that I hoped I spelled right. I mean that in the best way possible. I hope I didn't forget anyone.**

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The Change, For Better or For Worse

Chapter Two: Business with the Twins

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The next morning when harry woke up he stretched and grinned when he remembered what he did last night. He had taken control of the insane house elf and the portrait of Sirius' mother, he had arranged for this filthy house to be cleaned and for his meals to be delivered to him and Sirius, although he had ate a small amount downstairs in the kitchen the night before to make it look like he was going to conform to what they expected of him, and he had arranged for Peter Pettigrew to be captured so he could free Sirius. It was going as planned so far. Harry got up and rubbed his eyes. He stretched out and transfigured the chair to his desk and so loose items of clothes into exercise equipment.

A few hours later Harry was stepping out of the bathroom wearing dark wash jeans that hung low on his waist and toweling his hair, contacts already in. He blinked and Kreacher appeared with his breakfast. "Get Sirius for me Kreacher," Harry said to the elf as greeting. The elf nodded and popped away after he put the food on Harry's desk. He glanced at his iPod dock as he plopped onto the bed; according to the clock it was 7:04 am. He snapped his fingers and the song _Broken_ by Seether came on just as Sirius walked in.

"Well that was timed perfectly," Harry said as he separated the food and gave some to Sirius. Sirius eyed Harry's wet hair and asked, "What time did you get up, pup?"

"About three hours ago," Harry said nonchalantly.

Sirius sputtered. "That's four in the bloody morning! Why, in the world, would you get up that early?"

"Well I need to exercise. These don't come from sitting around you know," Harry said patting his abs. "And who knows, maybe if you exercised you wouldn't like your dead all the time. It'll help you build up the muscle you lost in Azkaban. No offence meant," he added as he saw Sirius flinch.

Sirius looked down at his lap. "Maybe I should, can I join you?"

Harry nodded. "Come by tonight before you go to bed. I exercise then too. Let's eat now."

After they ate Sirius left to get dressed and Harry put on a black wife beater and a left open a white button down over it. He put on the same boots as yesterday, grabbed his wand and iPod, put it on full blast and went down the stairs. He pushed open the door to the kitchen and the first person to see him was Bill.

"Looking good, Potter!" He called from the table. Harry nodded at him. The twins, Hermione and Ginny looked up at him, the girls saw what he was wearing and gaped at him.

"Oh, sit Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley bustled over and shooed him to the table. "I'll get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry Mrs. Weasley, I was just here for some water."

"Nonsense you need to eat more, you're too skinny. Besides we'll be cleaning today so you should keep your energy up," she told him as she made him a plate of food that he wasn't going to eat. He saw the twins were done eating.

"I'm serious Mrs. Weasley I'm not hungry. I just came down for the twins. You done, Fred? George?" They nodded and he motioned for them to follow him out of the room quickly as he saw Hermione and Ginny rush to finish eating. Apparently Molly didn't believe him as she finished making the plate. The twins and Harry were out of the room and going up the stairs before Hermione and Ginny could follow. Molly turned around to see the twins and Harry gone, Hermione and Ginny getting up to follow and Bill shaking his head. She stood there in shock with a plate of food in her hand.

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HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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Harry led the twins to a room near his. He took out his wand and waved it at the door in a few complicated patterns that the twins recognized as privacy charms that they use frequently. They looked at him in surprise.

"Ministry can't detect magic here," he said as an explanation. "Not that it matters much. I got rid of the trace at the beginning of the summer. And you won't be able to repeat anything you learn outside of this room unless I give you permission." The twins nodded.

"Well oh brother of mine-"

"It looks like-"

"Ickle Harrikins is not as innocent-"

"As we thought-"

"Putting up spells-"

"Removing the trace illegally-"

"And he has a new look!" The twins finished together.

Harry just shook his head at them. Hearing them speak was like watching a tennis match. "Let's do business. The joke shop still on?"

The twins nodded. "Do you guys have premises yet?" The twins shook their heads.

"No we don't. We've been doing owl order mostly," George told him.

"Well I could lease you one if you want," Harry told them earnestly.

The twins exchanged glances. "What's the catch?" they asked in unison.

"Well it's accessible to the wizarding and muggle worlds, so you might have to sell muggle magic tricks or anything you can sell to muggles. You can sell magic tricks that are manufactured in one of my businesses if you want or you could sell muggle clothes so wizards and muggles could benefit from that. You would have to put up muggle repelling wards in the wizarding part of the shop. You would also act as a gateway between the alley and the muggle world. You would also have to have employees in each part of the shop. You'd probably want a muggleborn in the muggle part of the shop though. I'll pay for it so you should save the money for inventing and use the money you make during the year, if you open before we go back to school that is, to open a shop in Diagon Alley. So what do you think?"

The twins sat and thought for a bit. "We'll do it but if we set it up before we go back to school someone would have to work there while we're away," they finally said.

"I would be able to handle that. I know some people that are looking for a job. Like Remus. But if I do that you'll have to promise me something."

"What?" Fred asked warily.

"You'll have to actually try on your N.E.W.T.s. That's my only condition."

"Okay," Fred said immediately.

"You guys should know before we go to Gringotts to finalize this. The shop is in America." The room submerged in complete silence. Silence stretched on for five minutes before George spoke.

"I don't really have a problem with that surprisingly." Fred nodded in agreement.

"So you guys want to do it?" Harry asked excitedly. The twins nodded. "Okay," Harry continued. "We'll go to Gringotts tomorrow if that's okay with you."

"Perfectly fine."

"Alright let's go back downstairs," Harry said. "Oh and if your mum tells us to clean, stick with me so Ron, Ginny, and Hermione don't. If you stick with me we won't have to clean. Kreacher will do it. Or we could go into muggle London to buy you some muggle clothes," Harry suggested lightly, not wanting to clean. "We could glamour Sirius and take him with us too."

"I don't Harry. We really don't have the money to spend." The twins said nervously.

"It's on me. Think of it as an investment if you want. Besides I'll be paying for Sirius too using my muggle credit cards. And I have money to burn, I'm constantly making money. And when we get you set up, you'll be buying from my company if you choose and I have a share of your company. Besides," Harry smirked. "You'll be meeting one of the people I was with this summer and I'll be paying for them as well."

"Okay we'll go," the twins agreed, "Only if you agree to be a partner in our business instead of just holding part of the shares."

"Deal," Harry said immediately. "Let me transfigure your clothes then we'll get Sirius and portkey out of here. Dumbledore and the Order will never be the wiser." The twins grinned evilly.

Harry pulled his wand out and waved it at the twins. They were put into similar outfits like his except George's button down was dark blue and Fred's was dark green. They walked up the stairs and up to Sirius' door.

Harry knocked on the door sharply then walked in with Fred and George following. "Ready to Padfoot?"

"Yeah, how are we getting there?"

"We're portkeying directly into Gringotts. But before we go-" Harry waved his wand at Sirius in a similar motion he did to the twins. They watched as Sirius' hair shortened and lightened to a dark blonde/light brown, his cheekbones softened, making his face looking wider and fuller, his eyes changed to icy blue. He looked different but they could still recognize him.

"As of right now your name is Antony P. Grim. Your nickname is Reaper in private because of your last name if anyone asks. Understand?" He looked at each of them until every one of them nodded. Harry nodded in satisfaction and pulled out a CD case. "Now hold on. Three, two, one." They all felt the familiar jerk behind the navel. When they looked up they were in a private room in Gringotts.

They followed Harry through the maze that was Gringotts until they appeared in front of a set of double doors.

"Hello Ragnok," Harry said as the four wizards took a seat in front of the desk that the goblin sat behind.

"Hello Harry, why are you here today?" The three purebloods exchanged looks. Harry was on a first name basis with a goblin?

"I want to give Fred and George Weasley a lease for the empty shop in America," He turned to the twins. "What are you going to sell on the Muggle side of the store?"

"How about both?" Fred suggested. Harry nodded and turned back to the goblin.

"I want them to get a monthly, for now, shipping from 'Potter Toys' and 'Potter Fashions.' Can you set up a few wards that prevent muggles from getting through to the wizarding part of the store and put in a door that adjoins it to our restaurant next door?"

"Of course Mr. Potter," the goblin said as the enchanted quill copied everything down. "Employees?" Ragnok asked.

"Dan and Megan, and perhaps Katie Bell if she can come in for an interview, on the muggle front and whoever else they want later on." Ragnok turned to the twins.

"And who do want on the wizarding side?"

"Lee for one," Fred said.

"Alicia and Angelina for the summer."

"And Siri- I mean Tony if he wants." They looked at Sirius in question and he looked absolutely shocked. "O-Of course. But are you sure?" The twins nodded firmly.

Ragnok pulled out a form and put it in front of Siri-I mean Tony. "If you could sign here Mr. Black." Seeing their shocked expressions, he laughed. "Don't worry Mr. Black your secret is safe with me. Now if you could sign here. Any money you make will go to your vault. When you start working you'll get this credit card that is in the name of Antony Grim and is usable in the muggle and magical world." They spent a little more time talking about the shop and set an opening day for after the trial.

"Grab on, we're going to a muggle mall now," Harry said pulling out the same CD. They portkeyed to an empty lot, that had only one car in it and a person facing in the opposite direction.

"Come on let's go," leading the three others to the figure and the car.

"Boo!" Harry yelled as he came up behind the man. The other teen jumped and glared at Harry as Harry chuckled.

"Dan this is Fred, George, and Sirius but right now he's going by Antony Grim a.k.a. Tony," He pointed to each of them in turn. "Guys this is Dan Evans," Sirius looked at the boy in shock at the last name. "I spent the majority of my summer with this guy. And he's your new employee," he added on as an afterthought.

"Nice to meet you guys," Dan smiled at each of them as he shook their hands.

"I don't know if you or Harry know this," Sirius said as he let go of the teen's hand. "But lyou have the same last name as Harry's mother before she married James."

"Yeah I know and so does Harry," Dan said answering for Harry as well who was walking around the car in circles looking for any scratches or flaws. Not finding any he smiled and got in the driver seat.

He looked at the other four. "Well come on! Let's not wait for the grass to grow! Get in!" Dan immediately got in the front seat as Harry turned to key to start the car and put the top down on the convertible. The three other wizards looked at the car in slight fear as they heard the engine roar but got in any way. And they were off to the mall, the purebloods holding on for dear life, fearing what was going to happen next.

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**Author's Note: Well that's it, I know it was short. I hope it was good. I might not update this fast for any of the other chapters, mostly because I never update this fast and I just had a death in the family, so it may be a few weeks.**

**Review!**

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**Now on to the answers to your reviews. To all reviewers; I hope I spelled your names right. And if I didn't I'm sorry.**

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Dear **anthony37**,

I'm glad you liked it! And thank you for the review! You'll just have to wait and see what happens with Snape. There won't be any bloodfeuds (that I know of). But yes Harry did take the Potter Lordship and another one that you can tell from the way he is addressed early in the story. But you'll have to wait and see if he took any other ones though.

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **harrysgurl22 **and **Deby Magid**,

I'm glad you liked it! And thanks for the review! The backstory will come up soon. I don't know when but it will, all depends on when Harry wants to think or talk about it (or when the twins and Sirius get it out of him).

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **anon,**

You caught it! I was wondering if anyone would. That had to be one of my favorite lines from Smallville, I just had to use it. 'Specially on Dung, I can't stand him but he has his uses. I'm glad you like the story and that you reviewed.

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **Danie08**,

Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like my story! I know what you mean though. I like stories where Harry isn't a pushover and actually has this thing called a backbone, know any good ones? And no, he won't be paired with Ginny. To be honest, I can't stand her or that pairing. I feel like Ginny has no depth.

If you read my reading the books story you're probably thinking 'But she paired him with Ginny in that story! Why would she do that if she didn't like Ginny?' To answer that, I needed to do that, I mean his kids from canon are there. How weird would it be if I didn't pair him with her? I wanted to try to give her a depth in that story, even though I think she's not good enough for him and that she's using him and Dean and Michael.

On to the rest of your review and off the topic of Ginny! I'm glad you liked the title, I was grasping for something that would catch my eye. That is what usually brings me to read a story and I didn't want the common "Harry Potter and the…" title. It's too cliché, but I don't have a problem with stories with those titles.

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **Justpucky**,

Thanks for the review! I'm not sure if there will be any pairings. But if there is it won't be with Ginny or Hermione. But for who it would be with, you'll just have to wait and see what happens. But I think he should have someone especially since it's in the middle of war and politics and everything. Let me know what you suggest!

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **autumngold**,

Thanks for the review! Harry isn't taking any shit, so you won't have to worry about that. I hate that JKR just made Harry forgive Hermione and Ron, especially Ron after what happened. But after Ron's betrayal in the fourth book, were you not expecting it?

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **SarahBellatrixPotterBlack**,

Thanks for the review! I feel your pain. Sometimes I can't stand them either. You're right Hermione never minds her own business and it's always bugged me.

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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Dear **917brat, lynn999, wildflowerxx12, ILikeComps, Pri-Chan 1410, and ElfOwl**,

Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the story! I plan on writing more so don't worry.

Thank you for the review and I hope you review again, PM me anytime you want,

M2mM

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	3. I Can Protect Myself!

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse.**

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**IMPORTANT! Author's Note: Before we begin I would like to thank Cassiopeia Potter. She reminded me that certain things wouldn't have existed in this time period (i.e. iPods.) So thank you. I forgot to mention that this story wouldn't take place in the original Harry Potter timeline. It'll be in the more recent time period. This warning will be added to every chapter from now on in the beginning. It'll be right next to the disclaimer. From here on out, you will not be able to say I didn't warn you.**

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**Special Thanks to: 917brat, CrazyDuck5280, jjlee3449, katenkapotter, lmill123, VelvetyNightSky, greenbluephoenix, rusty32539, jadeb212, Kuro Arashi, LignumVitae86, Mad Reminant, PaniQ120, Ava the Bird, Amabilys, AnnaPFOaks, cozmic, eas105, GryffindorEncylopediaOfPotter, iamjmph01, Ice Owl, Just Another Aceves, psycho-bananas, RabitNut, redstickbonbon, vulpes22, dutchgirl07, laurencracefan, phoenixflamemarauder, Tempete Sanguine, CClan, Demon Eyes KyoS, shadowpheonix21, ginny lover-1, belleaurora, ECSAgirl, Gemma945, Dani08, 917brat, Pri-Chan 1410, ILikeComps, cozmic, autumngold, **

**Special, Special Thanks to: Cassiopeia Potter for pointing out my glaring mistake.**

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**Enjoy!**

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The Change, For Better or For Worse

Chapter Three: I Can Protect Myself!

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"Hey mum," Ron Weasley said as he walked into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, taking the plate out of his mother's hand, completely oblivious to the shocked faces of the people around him and Bill's laughter. He sat and started to eat when he realized the silence. He swallowed and asked, "Where's Harry and Fred and George?"

"He left!" Hermione yelled. "He just took the twins and left! He didn't even eat!" Ron looked horrified.

"He didn't eat? Why didn't he eat?"

"He said he already ate and he needed to talk to the twins," Bill said as he put his plate in the sink and headed off to work, he really needed to talk to Fleur about supporting Harry.

"Can you guys go get Harry?" Molly asked the three teens. The three nodded and rushed upstairs and started to search for their best friend. They looked in every room and couldn't find neither hide nor hair of Harry, the twins, or Sirius. They raced down the stairs and went to Molly.

"Mum! We can't find him!"

"He's not there!"

"The twins and Sirius aren't here either!"

Molly looked at them in shock. They weren't here? Where could they have gone? She started to panic and started to become angry.

"Ginny call Dumbledore and tell him what happened, he may want to have an Order meeting because of this. Ron, Hermione keep looking and try to figure out where they could have gone." The three nodded and ran off to do as they were told. Molly sighed, those four were going to be in so much trouble when Dumbledore finds out.

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HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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Harry led the three purebloods to the counter in a department store and rang the bell at the counter. While he did that, Sirius, Fred, and George were looking around in awe, they had never seen such a big store or so many muggles. Dan just stood there indifferent. They waited a moment before a young woman that looked to be in her late teens early twenties appeared. When she saw Harry and Dan she squealed.

"Harry! Dan! What are you guys doing here? And who's this?" She asked when she finally noticed the three wizards.

"Hey Jacks," Harry greeted with Dan nodding and smiling at the girl. "This is Sirius, Fred, and George," he pointed to each of them in turn, "don't bother trying to figure which twin is which it just drives normal people crazy, at least in the beginning." She nodded in understanding, she had cousins that were twins and she has some trouble telling them apart. "They need some normal clothes; they're absolutely hopeless since their purebloods." Sirius and the twins looked at Harry sharply. Harry saw the looks and told them that she was in the know since her younger brothers were wizards.

"They are all yours, Jackie, I'm going to go to the toy store and some other places. I have my phone if you need me." Jackie nodded distractedly as she was sizing the three wizards up. "I presume that you were the one that transfigured their clothes." Harry nodded and started to walk away with Dan following. They didn't even glance when they heard Jackie dragging Fred, George and Sirius around.

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HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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After the four said goodbye to Jaklyn and Dan, they portkeyed back to the front of Grimmauld Place, all dressed in muggle clothes and laden down with bags, and Harry and Sirius were able to tell the twins apart because Jackie had given them their own style. They glanced both ways before they crossed the street and walked up the steps to Number 12. They opened the door chatting loudly and seemingly making a large amount of noise. They went up to their rooms to place their bags when a portrait told Sirius and Harry about the Order meeting going on in the kitchen and to hurry their sorry asses up. Harry rolled his eyes and took Sirius' bags and gestured for him to go.

The moment Sirius walked into the kitchen silence reigned then succumbed to utter chaos. The yell that covered everyone else's and made the room silent except for her and was heard by everyone in the house jump except for Harry and twins who just walked down the stairs calmly, was Molly Weasley's.

"SIRIUS BLACK! WHERE WERE YOU? WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO LEAVE THIS HOUSE AND PUT YOURSELF, MY CHILDREN AND HARRY, YOUR GODSON IN DANGER?" Sirius glared at the woman in front of him. How dare she say that he put his godson in danger? But before he could answer, the door flew off the hinges and cut Molly off in the middle of her rant. Everything in the house was silent except for a slight crackling that was coming off the person in the door way.

"How dare you?" Harry hissed at the raging redhead in front of him, almost slipping into parseltongue because of his anger. He stalked forward with the twins behind him at a safe distance away from his magic behind him. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny appeared in the doorway. Hermione and Ginny looked pissed while Ron just looked confused, but no one paid them any attention, they were too focused on Harry.

"How dare you say that Sirius put me in danger" _My thoughts exactly pup,_ Sirius thought. "None of us were in any danger whatsoever. By saying that we were in danger you're insinuating that me, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the one who has faced Voldemort at least four times and lived to tell the tale, which is far more than everyone in this room could say, cannot protect myself and the people I cared about, completely ignoring the fact that everyone single one of us are trained wizards that know how to use our magic in every situation." Harry's eyes had an eerie Avada Kedavra green glow to them. "You have absolutely no right whatsoever to imply such things. Nor do any of you have the right to keep neither me nor Sirius trapped in this house that he owns by the way. You don't have the right to tell me when I should eat, what I should eat, where I should sleep, whether I clean this house, or where I go. You are not, no matter how much you wish, my mother or the owner of this house. So I suggest that you start acting like you are supposed to in another's home or all of you may find yourself not able to access this house." _Well said Harry, well said,_ the twins, Sirius, Bill, and surprisingly, Snape thought. Molly put her hand to her chest in surprise and anger and Ron stepped forward to grab Harry in anger not realizing his extremely stupid actions. The twins did nothing to hold Ron back; he was going to get what was coming to him, it was his own fault for trying to touch an extremely powerful, angry wizard whose magic was visible and you could _hear_. And they wanted to see what would happen.

And see what happened they did. Ron reached Harry and touched his shoulder. As soon as Ron's hand breached Harry's magical aura he was blasted backwards and across the hall, knocking Hermione and Ginny down in the process as he went. Harry didn't even turn around.

"Harry, my boy, I must ask you to calm down. You are losing control of your magic and you are harming your friends. And you left without letting the Order know and put Sirius and Misters Weasley in danger." Harry slowly turned to face his Headmaster.

"Are you deaf, old man? I'm in danger wherever I go; I have an insane Dark Lord after me, in case you forgot. But as I just told the rest of your flaming chickens, I am more than capable in defending myself as you just saw when that idiot decided to grab me from behind." Harry told the man. The Headmaster's eye twinkle started to dissipate. Harry had never talked back before. "Now if you'll excuse me I have things I need to do. Goodbye." Harry turned and walked out the door, his magic rippling behind him and destroying everything in front of the Order.

When he was walking up the stairs he heard a voice calling him. "Harry wait up! I need to talk to you!" Harry slowed his walk so Bill could catch up with him.

"What would you like to talk about William?" Harry asked Bill, using his full name. Bill took a second to catch his breath and started to speak.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll support your decisions, whatever they are, and so will Fleur, if you'll let her." Harry nodded.

"Can you arrange a meeting between me and Fleur, Bill? I hear that you two have gotten...close." Harry finished with a smirk appearing on his face. "Great Bill, let me know when." Harry disappeared into his room. Bill looked after the true figurehead of the light and shook his head. That boy was full of surprises.

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**PLEASE READ BOLD!**

**Author's Note: Review! I know it's short but review anyway. Please?**

**So before I answer your reviews, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you guys to answer it in the wonderful reviews you leave me.**

**So here it is:**

**QUESTION: If you were to be left to live in a house with four characters from Harry Potter, and weren't able to change them, who would you want to live with? It HAS to be a person from EACH house. They have to actually be in the book, but DON'T have to be developed in the book but CAN BE developed in a fanfiction story. If they are developed in a fic, can you tell what story it is? You don't have to though if you don't want to or the character is developed over several people's fanfictions.**

**And I'm going to try to recommend a story or author each time I update, if you have any suggestions let me know, if it's your story or someone else's it doesn't matter. **

**So recommendation:**

**If you like reading the book stories, you'll probably like "EXPLORING HARRY POTTER'S LIFE" by LADY CELESTIAL STAR. If you do read and review, give me a shout out in the review?**

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**So reviews! (finally!) Onward!**

**Reviews:**

Dear **redstickbonbon,**

Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I agree with you it never sat right with me either.

So review again, please,

M2mM

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Dear **Dani08,**

The story is keeping me guessing as well! Lol. I'm glad you love it. Well here's the chapter! And I took your suggestion about lord Cartwright. Well keep reviewing and be sure to answer my question.

So review again, please,

M2mM

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Dear** 917brat,**

I'm not really sure about the pairing but it won't be any of those, so don't worry. I'm kinda sick of them too. So review again and be sure to answer the question.

So review again, please,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **ILikeComps, Pri-Chan 1410, and cozmic**,

I'm glad you like it and thanks for the review. I hope you answer the question I left.

So review again, please,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **autumngold,**

Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like it. Some of my ideas surprise me sometimes so when I came up with the Sirius works in the twins store idea I was like 'Write it down now!' I didn't include the shopping trip because, to be honest I think it makes the story drag. But if you like I can put up a one shot that includes the shopping trip. But they did discuss some things during the shopping trip that'll come up later in the story…cough, cough, -Harry's summer- cough, cough. And Harry has a black Mercedes Benz SL Night. Be sure to answer the question and review again.

So review again, please,

M2mM

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Dear **Cassiopeia Potter,**

I would like to give you an enormous thank you. I wouldn't of remembered to put the warning in if you hadn't of reminded me. If you look in the author's note at the top, it's there. Harry's summer will come up in the later chapters. But I'm going to try to work a part of it in the next chapter. Hopefully it won't disappoint. As to muggle stuff working around magic, well when Harry was younger and did accidental magic, you'd think that it mess with the electronics in the house right? But who's to say it didn't. I don't know if it did or not but I guess it'll be explained when Harry explains what's been going on to Sirius. But it has to do with a lot a lot of spells and broken electronics. If you find any other problems or issues let me know. I hope you answer my question asked earlier in the author's note, if it pleases you of course.

So review again, please,

M2mM

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Review!


	4. Summer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**WARNING: ****T****his story wouldn't take place in the original Harry Potter timeline. It'll be in the more recent time period.**** There will be bashing, most likely. If you haven't picked that up yet, I don't know what to tell you.**

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**Author's Note: I should tell you now that the reviews and everyone isn't listed out this chapter. Everyone from the previous chapter and this chapter will be listed next chapter.**

**Happy Reading!**

**Finally the chapter, well the first part, of the chapter you've all been waiting (nagging me) for!**

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**Enjoy!**

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The Change, For Better or For Worse

Chapter Four: Summer

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"Boy! Get down here!" Harry looked up at the sound of his Uncle's yell. He got up and slowly made his way out of the smallest bedroom of number four, Privet Drive. As he approached the living room he saw his whale of an uncle, his aunt, and a man he did not recognize. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

The stranger looked up at Harry and smiled. "Hello I am Alexander Blackwell; it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. You are Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded and shook the hand the man offered him. "It's Nice to meet you, Mr. Blackwell. May I ask how you know who I am? And why are you here?"

"I think it's fairly obvious as to how I knew who you were," his eyes drifted to Harry's forehead but did not linger but Harry pressed his hair down anyway. "You do look remarkably like your father, Mr. Potter. But I daresay you most likely have more of your mother's personality not your father's. I also saw you at the Triwizard Tournament." Harry flinched, it had only been a couple weeks since the final task and Cedric's death was still fresh in his mind, the guilt nagging at him.

"As to why I am here," Blackwell continued. "I work for a summer camp in the states that was created by your grandfather about the time you father started Hogwarts. We attend events and similar activities that are held by schools around the world. We pick out specific students that show potential and ask them to attend one of the camps and school available to them. The potential you showed in the Tournament and the fact that you are the owner of the camp, but mostly your magical potential, we decided to approach you. We have some pamphlets and I would love to give you a tour." Harry cocked his head as he looked at the man in front of him.

"I'd love a tour. Can I stay there or do I have to return here? And what do you mean I own camps? As in plural?"

"Yes, Harry plural. Where you choose to stay is up to you. Your grandfather built the camp so that children with magical potential or in need of extra training could have a place to practice magic."

"Why haven't I heard of this before?" Harry said, temper rising.

Mr. Blackwell's eyebrows rose considerably. "We assumed you knew and just didn't bother checking in. Do you mean to tell me that you are unaware of you inheritance?" Harry nodded, silently thinking everything over.

"Do you teach about the magic world to people who aren't magical? And do you teach normal subjects like math and science? And English. I really need help with English and Reading," a voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to seed Dudley standing there.

Vernon looked at his son in shock and slight disgust. His son, his Dudley wanted to learn from freaks like Potter? Vernon was disgusted. You couldn't trust freaks like Potter and Dudley wants to learn from them? Petunia was looking at her son in pride. He was going to fix his mistakes and try to forge bonds with his cousin, his only family, before it was too late. Harry just shrugged, he was shocked yeah, but honestly he didn't really care. He wouldn't ever understand his cousin and he wasn't going to try either. At least not yet.

Blackwell didn't understand how weird this was and took it all in stride. "Yes Mr. Dursley, yes we do. I suggest you pack your bags if you're going to come with us, we need to take a trip to Gringotts in London and then head to the camp and its going to be a long trip."

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HPHPHPHPHP

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Petunia sighed as she looked out the window, gripping her tea cup. It had been an hour since Dudley and Harry left. Her son was off to a world she could never understand, never be a part of. She had felt this way when she knew Harry was going to go as well. Contrary to what her nephew believed she did love him, and she knew she had done wrong not just by him but by her son as well. She had made her son hate his cousin because she was jealous. She had ruined both boys' lives. She had spoiled Dudley rotten as he had grown hoping he didn't inherit magic. She wasn't stupid, she knew that it was possible for Dudley to have magic; her sister had had magic after all. When he hadn't shown any signs of magic she continued to give him whatever he wanted. But it wasn't because she hoped he didn't have magic, it was because he didn't. She had given him everything, never disciplining him because she had hoped it would make up for him not having something that Harry did. Looking at how her decision turned out, she shuddered. He had been turning into a mirror image of his father but now, now he had Harry to help Dudley turn things around.

Harry.

She had been so cruel to him. He hadn't done anything to deserve how she treated him, how Vernon treated him, how Dudley had treated him. He had been just a child, a mere baby when they had found him on their doorstep. Vernon had agreed to take him reluctantly but she had wanted that last link to her sister. As a baby Harry was wonderful, he was still wonderful as a teenager. He was so adorable. He wasn't fussy, he didn't cry, and was very perceptive even as a baby. When she had realized that Lily had been the same way, she had cried because it had been far too much to handle. It had hit her then that Lily wasn't coming back. She hadn't even gotten the chance to apologize to her baby sister and now she never would and it ate at her every day. Lily had been so wonderful and had so many great things going for her. Everyone who met her loved her, especially when she was little. But then magic happened and Petunia lost her little sister to a world that she wasn't a part of. Petunia had resented magic and was jealous of her sister and now magic had taken her nephew, and Petunia started to resent Harry's magic. Magic had killed Lily and that made her hate magic to a point where she would never go back.

So Petunia had been horrible to her nephew, the nephew that was so much like the best parts of Lily it hurt. She didn't want to get attached so she had distanced herself and hadn't stopped Vernon from placing him in that dratted cupboard. But his magic would help him but then take him away as well.

She had known Harry was a wizard from the time he was three years old. She remembered the day she had realized very clearly...

_Petunia was in the kitchen making lunch and Dudley was at his friend's house while Vernon was at work. Harry didn't have any friends so he had stayed at the house to help her with the chores. She hadn't wanted him around while she was cooking so she had sent him outside to play. It was still relatively warm out for Halloween, so she had just given him a jacket that didn't fit Dudley anymore. She hadn't wanted to look in his eyes either. Last time she checked on him about ten minutes ago he was playing by the bushes._

"_Harry! Lunch is ready, come inside now!" No response. So she called for him again. When he didn't answer the second time she began to worry, he _always_ answered her, so she rushed to outside to see him lying by the bushes._

"_Harry?" she called out to him as she knelt down next to him. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized he was just sleeping. She didn't want to wake him, he hadn't been sleeping all that well and was having nightmares again. He got them around this time of year; every year she had him so far; she had a nagging feeling that he always would. But she had to wake him before he caught a cold. She went to shake him awake when she saw his hand clenched around something. She eased his fingers open gently and gasped at what was in his hand._

_It was a lily. She knew she didn't have any lilies anywhere near her house; it was far too soon for that. She looked down at the flower again and saw something that she was sure would stick with her the rest of her life._

_The flower's petals were opening and closing. Opening and closing as she had once seen her sister do. Petunia knew from that moment on that Harry was a wizard and that he would leave her._

Petunia was brought out of her memories by Vernon yelling at the telly. Petunia looked out the window again. Harry was a god boy- no he was a good _man_ and would help those that needed him. She was glad that he seemed to include Dudley in that category. She knew that he belonged with magic, but she was scared for him. Especially when he had told her about the man that killed Lily. She hoped that he helped make Dudley a better person.

_I'm sorry Harry. Forgive me._

* * *

HPHPHPHPHP

* * *

"What's Gringotts Harry?" Dudley's voice cut through Harry's thoughts.

"What?"

"Gringotts. You mentioned it before, what is it?"

"Since when are you interested in the wizarding world, Dud?" Harry questioned his cousin. He wanted his answers before he answered Dudley. Dudley looked down in shame.

"This has been your world since you were eleven. I know I haven't been a great family member to you but I want to be now. I want to know about your world and about you. I want to know about your friends, your life, and your school. I know you may hate me, but you are my cousin, my only family. I want to understand. I'm hoping that by being here with you will help make me be a better person. I had a long talk with my mum before you came back and I don't want to be like my dad anymore. And I'm going to this camp with you," Dudley tacked onto the end.

Harry seemed satisfied with this answer and decided to tell him. Even Dudley can change maybe that means others can as well.

"It's the wizard bank. It's in Diagon Alley, which is in London, and is run by goblins. You'd do well not to cross the goblins. We are going there because we'll need money to buy stuff at the camp and surrounding area. Alexander told me there was a wizarding and muggle shopping center nearby. I'll pay for you for now but I expect you to get a job.

"I hope you know that things will be different now. You won't be able to eat or get what you want and when you want it. You'll be placed on a healthy diet and it will not be changed. You'll get appropriate proportions and will exercise. You will not bully anyone or I swear Dudley I will kick you out, cousin or not. You'll also have to have tutors besides your regular classes. I will as well because I didn't take muggle classes like you. You'll be taking a magical cultures class with me as well. I'll tutor you in certain classes that I don't need tutors in, such as math if you want me to. Understand?" Harry leaned back into his seat after his speech.

Dudley nodded processing everything that his cousin told him. It would be hard but he didn't want to revert back to the way he was before and he knew Harry wouldn't let him.

"Oh look we're here, I'll be back." Harry left the limo they had taken and went into the café next to the Leaky Cauldron. He nodded at the person behind the counter and headed straight to the bathroom. He locked the door and looked in the bag that was handed to him by the driver. Inside the bag were a polo, jeans, and sunglasses. He thought that the sunglasses were there to hide his identity as was the bandana that would cover his scar and decided he would ask Alexander afterward. The sunglasses went around his glasses he discovered after he changed. He looked in the mirror and saw a different person looking back at him. He took a deep breath, he was ready. He headed straight to the Leaky Cauldron and didn't notice the looks that some people that were there when he had walked in were giving him.

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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He strode into the Leaky Cauldron looking confident but inside he was shaking. He was confident but he didn't want to be seen and surprisingly no one really looked his way and those that did dismissed him as unimportant right away, thinking he was some muggleborn probably. He headed to Gringotts.

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHP

* * *

The teller was currently looking at him in shock. He had walked up to the goblin and said, "Hello Griphook. I was wondering if you or one of your colleagues would be so kind as to take me to my vault today."

Griphook threw off his shock and did his discreet test to see if it really was who he thought it was in front of him.

"Key please. Very well Mister Potter your current account manager would like to see you." Harry, confusion coming off of him in waves, followed the goblin to see his account manager.

"Ragnok, Mr. Potter is here to see you."

"Thank you Griphook you may leave. Have a seat Mr. Potter," Ragnok addressed the teen in front of him. "Can you tell me, Mr. Potter, why you have ignored every single one of our summons since you were twelve?"

"Summons?" Harry asked in shock. "I never received any summons, Mr. Ragnok. I didn't even know I had an account manager or accounts to be managed," Harry had decided the honesty would be most beneficial in this instance, seeing as he didn't want to upset the goblin even more. "I just found out I actually had an inheritance today and my cousin and I are currently on our way to one of the camps I apparently own. I came here because I needed money, wizarding and muggle. I was hoping to just go to my vaults, not meet anyone, and attend to the errands I have to run. In fact my cousin is waiting for me in muggle London."

Ragnok was shocked. Never knew he had accounts? Never received a summons? Never knew he had an inheritance?

"Believe me Mr. Potter you have accounts. You are heir to one of the oldest families in the world. I will let you get on with you errands, but first we need to schedule an appointment. We shall schedule it for two weeks from now to allow you to get settled in at camp. Is this alright with you Mr. Potter?"

"It is perfectly fine. I have a question for you though, is there a way I can access my money without constantly having to go to my vaults or exchange money? Like a muggle credit card?" Harry asked. He didn't want to constantly carry a large amount of money around.

"Yes we do Mr. Potter. Most would have to pay for this service but seeing as your mother was the one who introduced this to us, not only do you get it for free but you make a profit off of it also," Ragnok said as he dug around in one of his drawers. "Here you go Mr. Potter, it should work in any muggle or wizard store. I look forward to seeing you again Mr. Potter. Have a good day." Harry stood and offered his hand to the goblin, creating an alliance without realizing it. He was the first wizard ever to offer their hand to a goblin and treat said goblin as an equal. Ragnok shook the hand the young man offered and smiled as he left the room. That wizard would change the world.

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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Harry stepped out of Gringotts and sighed. That was weird. As he was leaving all the goblins stopped what they were doing and bowed to him, shocking the other wizards and witches. Harry shook his head and started toward Flourish and Blotts. He had several books he needed to buy with his new shiny credit card, including books on Runes, Arithmancy, and Wizarding Culture.

Little did Harry know, his life was about to change as soon as he stepped foot onto American soil.

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**It's kind of short and I'm sorry that I didn't list everyone at the top and answer your reviews down here but I appreciated every single one of them. I wanted to get this chapter out to you as soon as possible. Can you ever forgive me for postponing your answers?**

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**Review! Tell me what you think of his summer! The rest might be integrated into the rest of the story or it might have its own chapter like this one.**

**Review!**


	5. I Can't Believe I Forgot, NOT a chapter

Oh my gosh I can't believe I forgot! Last chapter I didn't ask a question, give a shout out, or answer reviews. The review responses will be up next update but the shout out and question will be here.

**Because I forgot to ask you get two questions this chapter:**

What is your five favorite books/series?

If you could teach any subject, wizarding or muggle, at Hogwarts, which subject would you teach and why?

**Shout out! 2 of them!**

An Aunt's Love by Emma Lipardi

Poison Pen by GenkaiFan

And Fanfiction's newest feature...what do you think of it?


	6. The Boss

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**WARNING: This story wouldn't take place in the original Harry Potter timeline. It'll be in the more recent time period. There will be bashing, most likely. If you haven't picked that up yet, I don't know what to tell you.**

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**Special Thanks to: crystalrose16, dementor999, eskarlet14, hotgandy, Jedi Princess Lucky, Loyal until the end, manster, Serenity Waldorf, Wolfal18, Alexandra Alcatraz Morgan, psychobitchlovely, scout123, Artifical Dreams, Darth Wako, lys2fg, munchnzoey, Aileen Dickinson, Black11phoenix, Stormwolf18896, UEAcon, antaress09, Guyver2.0, Dragons-Flame344, WLMNA, 3abzorno, Chrissy227, crtthegame, DaadyGal26, phelans123, rtxtn, Schlaubi, snappie53, GreyTurnip, iulia17, 2910leiv, ANIKAORI, katzztar, Madd Girl, Morpheus7514, rocbabe, runrigrocks, Dragon-Stone12, dwolc3, shopaholic1369, angelacar, hannahdaspannah, , Vampire456, .great, Angel Words, depiagetlover, KyrianaeNarii, lean238, mindgameplay, pizan, PontyBoy, Ruthl3sss, setsuna1415, staregirl, ilros, JACKY10CM, Wandless Wizard, Lady Potter-Riddle-Slytherin, Little-Miss-Read-a-Lot, Hoffindor, Woef, bananahvpwb, bear0001, cedeesss, griffinclaw, Mallo666, mex20, Orion Lineus Black, psychokitty, readsalot2002, The High Demon Lord, XZazaX, Finsi Potter, glitterfairy1990, jeshka-k, kchurchy85, laessiter, MaasaiGirl, max-452fan, kaijean81, Yukiko of the Hidden Mist, SkylerBlack, Rasho, illuminati78, Shinkuu Arashi, ILikeComps, Pri-Chan1410, 917brat, anthony37, Shinigami, redstickbonbon, Lupinesence, autumngold, kanabaka1, Dani08.**

**If I said your name twice, I'm sorry, I can't be perfect, no matter how hard I try. If any of you see any blaring errors let me know.**

**I apologize in advance for my Americanism (is that a word?). I hope you all can forgive me. **

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The Change, For Better or For Worse

Chapter Five: The Boss

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"What's on the agenda today boss?" Fred asked as he, George, and Sirius met Harry on the stairs that led up to the floor he shared with Sirius.

"Since when am I 'the boss?'"

"Since you decided to hire us. And you are behind this whole entire thing."

"If I'm the boss, I think you should be Thing 1 and Thing 2." The twins shrugged. It didn't matter to them. A few seconds of silence then Harry spoke.

"Let's go outside, we have to wait for Bill," Harry gestured for them to follow him outside.

"Why are we waiting for Bill?"

"You'll see," Harry responded mysteriously as they heard a pop from behind them. The twins and Sirius turned to see Bill standing behind them.

"Hello Bill," Harry greeted without turn around. "Did you bring a portkey? No? Well make one to where the person you want me to meet with is." The four of them looked at Harry in disbelief.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Harry asked as he rubbed his face. Bill just shook his head at Harry.

"You do realize we could go to jail if the ministry finds out we made an illegal portkey right?" Bill asked the four wizards he was with.

"I'll get the Kiss on sight if they see me," Sirius told Bill.

"Not if they don't know which one of us is guilty," the twins said in unison.

They all turned to look at Harry; he was the only one who hadn't said anything. "Are seriously suggesting that they'll arrest the Boy Who Lived? They wouldn't if they wanted to keep their jobs," Harry snorted. The twins nodded in agreement, "True dat."

"What did you just say?" Sirius asked them looking at them funny.

"True dat, it's a muggle phrase."

"Whatever you say, whatever you say." Harry tried to keep from laughing but a few snorts escaped.

"Okay let's go. Bill the portkey?"

"Oh yeah, here it is!" Bill said as he held out a brush. They all grabbed hold and disappeared. Harry and Bill were the only ones who landed on their feet. Sirius and the twins glared as the two laughed at them.

"How did you land Harry? You're the one who normally falls," George grumbled.

"One word: practice. Don't worry you'll get good at it…eventually." They brushed themselves off as they looked around they had landed. They were in front of an apartment building that looked to be two floors. They followed Bill up a flight of stairs and entered an apartment that was shockingly white in the entrance hall.

"Fleur!" Bill called as they walked farther into the apartment. Out of what Harry assumed was the kitchen, stepped a beautiful blonde. She launched herself into Bill's arms when she saw him. When she let go she caught sight of the twins, Harry, and Sirius in his disguise.

Harry smirked as she pulled him forward to hug him and kiss him on both cheeks as he was accustomed to in her presence; he was finally taller than her.

"'Arry! Eet ees wonderful to see you again. You 'ave gotten much taller, no longer a leetle boy," Fleur commented.

"Bonjour Fleur. It's nice to see you as well. You're English has gotten much better since the last time I saw you," Harry greeted the Veela as he hugged her back. "May I reintroduce you to the twins, Fred and George, and my…godfather."

Fleur let go of Harry and greeted the twins and Sirius the same way except more reserved. "Sit, sit," Fleur motioned them to the couch that was in the living room.

"Fleur, you aren't making eggs and sausage are you? Because if you don't get back to it now, it's going to go up in flames," Harry whispered to her. She immediately straightened up and rushed into the kitchen leaving the door open as smoke drifted out of the kitchen. Bill immediately got up to help his girlfriend.

Before the twins could say anything, they heard a door open and a sleepy voice say, "Fleur, c'est quoi cette odeur?" **[Fleur, what's that smell?]**

"Bonjour, Gabrielle. Fleur juste eu un petit accident dans la cuisine," Harry greeted the nine year old in her native language. **[Hello Gabrielle. Fleur just had a little accident in the kitchen.] **Sirius and the twins looked at Harry in shock, Bill and Fleur copying the look from the doorway to the kitchen as well.

Gabrielle looked up at the unfamiliar voice and let out an "eep!" when she saw Harry was the owner of the voice. She blushed horribly and started to back towards her room. "Où allez-vous? Vous n'avez pas à quitter. Asseyez-vous près de moi?" **[Where are you going? You don't have to leave. Sit next to me.] **Harry said to the little girl as he patted the spot next to him on the couch, trying not to blush at her reaction to him. You'd think she would have gotten use to him already all things considered. Gabrielle blushed some more and sat next to Harry and refused to look at him. Harry was embarrassed by her reaction although he should be used to it as well, but he was also amused. It was adorable.

"Parle vous francais?" Fleur asked from the doorway. Harry glanced away from the child and at her sister, noticing the four other wizards in the room watching the exchange in amusement at Gabrielle and shock that he spoke French.

Harry held his index finger and thumb about an inch apart and said, "Little bit," Harry said. "Just what I've picked up from friends and the handy little translation spell I have on me at all times," Harry said as he tapped the frame of the glasses he had decided to wear. They weren't his signature circular wire frames but plastic, black frames that looked frightenly expensive if you just looked at the symbol on the glasses that indicated the designer. They made him slightly harder to recognize because they weren't his signature frames but that's why he had chosen to wear them.

"Really? I didn't know that," Sirius said from his spot next to George.

"You didn't know because I didn't want you to know yet Sirius." Bill, George, Fred, and Sirius let out a gasp, Sirius' the loudest.

"Harry!"

"Don't worry about it, Sirius I know what I'm doing," Harry soothed. He turned to the two Veelas next to him. He started to reverse the glamours on Sirius as he spoke, "Fleur, Gabrielle, I would like to introduce you to my godfather, Sirius Black."

"Sirius Black is your godfather? You brought a mass murderer into my 'ome? Wiz my sister 'ere?" Fleur yelled shocked as Gabrielle scrambled back on the couch to hide behind Harry.

"Fleur! Do you trust me?" She nodded instantly.

"Do you think I would put you and your sister in danger?" She shook her head no.

"Do you think I would associate with a mass murderer?" Again, no.

"Do you think I'm a raving lunatic like the _Prophet_ has been saying?"

"What? Of course not, 'Arry!"

"Thank you for that. You know what it feels like to be accused of something you have no control over yes? You know what it's like to be called names and blamed for things you did not do and be hated for it; why are you doing the same to Sirius? How do you know he's not innocent? He never got a trial.

"You said you trust me, will you listen to our story, Fleur? Will you give him a chance?" Harry implored. Fleur thought for a moment as Sirius looked at her nervously. Then she nodded.

"I will listen. But," she said. "Gabrielle is not to listen to it."

"Deal," Harry agreed immediately. "Are you hungry Gabrielle?" Harry asked the nine year old as he picked her up and carried her into the kitchen. She nodded. Fleur watched the Boy-Who-Lived carry her sister into the kitchen, asking her preference of breakfast foods. Did she want a traditional French breakfast? Or did she want a good old English breakfast? Or another type of food?

"I think I'll join Harry," Fred started as Fleur turned to the animagus to get an explanation. "Coming George? Bill?"

"I'll stay," Bill said as he looked at his girlfriend intently and George followed his twin.

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

* * *

An hour later Fleur knew the whole story of that night at Godric's Hollow, she even knew about the Order of the Phoenix and what Harry was doing. Bill said bye to the four wizards as they got ready for the trip to America; he had decided to skip out on this trip and would visit the shop when it was all set up. Fleur gave them all kisses on the cheek and gave Harry an extra hug.

"Bye Fleur, it was great seeing you again."

"You too Harry. Don't be a stranger, Gabrielle would be upset."

"Don't worry about that. I'll be back in a few days to see what your parents say about Gabrielle going to camp. If you find out before then or something you can send me a letter. Just call for Hedwig before you write the letter, she'll be able to find me or you wherever." Fleur nodded and went to say goodbye to her boyfriend's brothers and Siri- I mean Tony, and Harry bent down to give the little girl a hug. He opened his arms and Gabrielle rushed into them and buried her face into his shoulder.

"I'll be back, Gabby, don't cry."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I'll see you in a few days okay? No more tears," Harry squeezed her and let go to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a handkerchief and a piece of parchment. He offered the girl the handkerchief and smiled when he saw that she had seen her name on it. When she had wiped her eyes he gave her the parchment.

"Whenever you want to talk to me just write what you want to say, tap it and whisper," Harry paused and looked around before he leaned in and whispered, "lightening. But it has to stay our little secret. Okay?"

The nine year old nodded excitedly. She had her very own secret, with Harry Potter of all people! Harry stood and joined the group.

"Are we ready?" The group agreed and Fleur, Bill, and Gabrielle shut the door to the apartment. As the four headed out the doors to find a place to portkey to America a yell could be heard from the person walking in front of the group. "Not one word Padfoot! Or from you Gred and Forge!"

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHP

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They followed Harry down the street of a muggle street. "Where are we Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Oh just a street outside New York City. Oh look, we're here." They were standing in front of a medium sized shop with boards on the windows and door.

"I promise it looks better on the inside." He went up to the door and put his hand against the wood before it fell away. "You can go in now, you're all keyed in."

They entered the shop and noticed it looked bigger on the inside. They also noticed the haze that seemed to separate the shop into two. There were shelves and racks all around the store and a glass counter with a cash register right next to it. It was a mirror image on the other side. As they were looking around a knock sounded at the door.

"That'll be Dan and the crew bringing stuff in. I'll answer it."

"Delivery for Harry Potter," Dan said.

"Ha ha very funny Dan. You can put the boxes over there," Harry told the crew and Dan. He stepped forward and grabbed the clipboard to sign. When all the boxes were there Harry walked up to one of the boxes, pulled out a box blade and cut the box open.

Harry looked at the others, "Let's get cracking gentlemen, we have a store to set up." Fred and George immediately jumped in and began pulling muggle merchandise out of the boxes.

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHP

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Several hours later Fred and George Weasley, Dan Evans, Harry Potter and Antony Grim a.k.a. Sirius Black could be found sitting on the floor of what was to be 'The Funhouse' eating pizza and just sititng around relaxing.

Harry yawned. "I think it's time Padfoot and I went home. I assume you guys want to explore the alley?"

"Yeah, we'll stay at-"

"Lee's tonight and-"

"-tell him about his-"

"-new job in our shop."

"We should be open by the end of the week," Gred and Forge finished in unison the way twins do.

Harry yawned again, "Let's go Padfoot." Sirius yawned as well and waved goodbye to the twins as Sirius Disapparated with Harry.

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHP

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The next few weeks were relatively calm. The meeting Harry had with the Delacours went well and Gabrielle was now a camper at the same camp Harry had attended over the summer. Gabrielle had been writing Harry everyday on the parchment he had given her and loved the camp. She had made several friends and they liked her for who she was and not what she was.

The twins were around less and less because they had a shop to manage. Whenever Sirius and Harry got a chance they would visit The Funhouse. The twins were raking in the money, muggle and wizarding. They had a whole new wardrobe for when they visited Diagon Alley. This had gone on for a few weeks until one day when Kreacher returned.

He had started the search for Pettigrew days after he was given the task he was given from Harry. It looked like he had found him.

"Master, young Master," Kreacher greeted them and bowed at Harry. "Kreacher has found the traitor. Kreacher has brought him to the room next to Mistress'."

"Very good Kreacher," Harry told the elf. "There is a letter on my desk addressed to Madame Bones. You are to deliver that to her and take her back here with whoever she deems necessary without giving her the exact location of where you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master Harry. Take the letter to head of DMLE and bring her back here." The elf told the young man in front of him.

"Good now go." When the elf was gone Harry looked to Sirius. "Are you ready for this? Are you ready to be a free man?" Sirius looked at his godson and nodded.

"I'm ready." They ran up the stairs where Pettigrew was being kept. Harry flicked his wand and conjured a chair with some heavy duty chains on it. He levitated Pettigrew into the chair and flicked his wand to wake the rat up.

"H-H-Harr-ry. It's so good to see you a-again," Peter stuttered.

"Shut up!" Harry snapped at the rat. "Do not speak unless spoken to." A few moments later Amelia Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and several other competent Aurors arrived.

"Mr. Potter I got your-" Bones began but was cut off by one of the Aurors shrieking. "Sirius Black!" Bones glared at the Auror and began again.

"I got your letter Mr. Potter. I believe you said that had Peter Pettigrew, someone I believed to be dead, in your home."

"Thank you for coming Madame Bones, and yes I do indeed have Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black here with me today. As you can see Peter is very much alive. You can begin questioning him now if you like or you can take him back to the Ministry. I don't really care as long as Sirius is freed by the end of today," Harry addressed the head of Magical Law Enforcement, wand still trained on Pettigrew. A few Aurors saw his wand and they did the same. Harry didn't lower his wand.

"I'll question him here with Veritaserum and then we'll proceed to the Ministry. Mr. Black, are you willing to undergo questioning under the truth serum?" Bones pulled out parchment and a quill a spelled it to write down everything said.

"Yes I am." Kingsley gave Sirius the truth serum and he got the dazed look that is a common side effect.

"State your name."

"Sirius Orion Black."

"What is your date of birth?"

"April 14, 1960."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"No."

"Have you ever supported the Dark Lord?"

"No."

"Were you the Potters' secret keeper?"

"No, I was just a decoy."

"Who was the secret keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Did you cast the blasting curse that killed twelve muggles?"

"No."

"Who did?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"How did Pettigrew escape that night?"

"He's an animagus. He turned into his rat form and escaped down the sewers and then was found by the Weasley family."

"How did you escape Azkaban?"

"I used my animagus form. Dementors don't effect animals the same."

"Shacklebolt give him the antidote. Sirius Black is an innocent man. Mr. Black I have called emergency session of the Wizengamot. If you come in today you'll be free by tonight and Pettigrew will be in Azkaban. Men grab Pettigrew and bring him straight to the court room. Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, and I will be right behind you," Madam Bones addressed the room at large. They all disappeared with a jerk behind the navel.

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**Author's Note: That's all folks!**

**So next Chapter is Wizengamot, Minister Cupcake (got this from S. S. Idget's story Finding Himself… great story that one) and Hogwarts! I can't wait. I Wanted to include Hogwarts this chapter but I said to myself "Ali. You have to send Pettigrew to jail first and deal with Fudge. Then you can go to Hogwarts. Don't rush it. Draw it out nice and long."**

**But I digress.**

**Tell me what you thought. And answer last chapter's questions, check out the recommendations, and you get forget this chapters question. I feel like I'm forgetting something….Oh yeah! Review!**

**So question, recommendation, people most people said they would room with, then review answers. Good plan.**

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**Question: This one is important so please answer it. Do you think Harry should be a prefect?**

* * *

**Recommendation: Finding Himself by S. S. Idget. I read it yesterday and enjoyed it immensely.**

* * *

**People to Room With: **

**Ravenclaw:**

**Luna-4**

**Flitwick-1**

**Gryffindor:**

**Dean-2**

**Harry-1**

**Neville-1**

**Sirius-1**

**Slytherin:**

**Regulas-1**

**Blaise Zabini-1**

**Draco-1**

**Snape-1**

**Marcus Flint (from fanfic)-1**

**Hufflepuff:**

**Susan Bones-1**

**Cedric-1**

**Leanne (from fanfic)-1**

**Anyone who didn't hate on Harry during Tournament-1**

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**Review Answers:**

Dear **ILikeComps,**

It is good to see him out of the house isn't it? Well he'll be out of the house even more now don't you agree? She should have the message by now but she might make a return. Did you like the bit of his summer?

Don't forget to answer the previous questions and the one for this chapter.

Hope you enjoyed reading,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **Pri-Chan1410, 917brat, anthony37, Shinigami, pyschokitty, redstickbonbon, Lupinesence, and Artifical Dreams,**

Thanks for the review. Here's the latest update. Don't forget to answer the questions for last chapter and this one. It is about time Harry grew a backbone isn't it? I'm glad you liked the bit with the beginning of it all (for those of you who did.)

Hope you enjoyed,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **autumngold,**

I think I showed Ron's impulsiveness well. It got him hurt maybe he'll think before he acts. It would be funny if Sirius kicked them out. You'll just have to wait to see what happens with his money…

Answer the questions! Please?

Hope you enjoyed reading,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **kanabaka1,**

She is rude! I thought that when I read OotP so I decided to deal with it in my story.

Don't forget to answer the previous questions and the one for this chapter.

Hope you enjoyed reading,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **Dani08,**

Keep 'em coming! I'm glad you enjoyed.

Don't forget to answer the previous questions and the one for this chapter.

Hope you enjoyed reading,

M2mM

* * *

Dear **SkylerBlack**,

I updated yay! I like my Harry too.

Don't forget to answer the previous questions and the one for this chapter.

Hope you enjoyed reading,

M2mM

* * *

**Review! By the way, are you willing to share what country you're from? You don't have to… Answer the questions...**


	7. Returning to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**WARNING: This story wouldn't take place in the original Harry Potter timeline. It'll be in the more recent time period. There will be bashing, most likely. If you haven't picked that up yet, I don't know what to tell you**

* * *

**Author's Note: So it's been a while my loves. I'm not going to list out everyone that favorite and I'm not going to answer reviews this chapter because there were so many and quite frankly I want to get this to you as soon as possible. So why I haven't updated in a while is a) I have a lot of family things to take care of. I would have updated last month around Christmas time but my dad passed away right before Christmas and b) I've been making a website for my profile and it'll have thinks and such on it. I hope you all enjoy this much awaited chapter.**

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The Change, For Better or For Worse

Chapter Six: Returning to Hogwarts

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**Enjoy!**

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_**Sirius Black- Not as Black as Painted. Peter Pettigrew Alive!**_

_**By Rita Skeeter**_

_As of yesterday evening, Sirius Black, 35, is declared innocent by the Wizengamot. Everyone knows the story of the Boy-Who-Lived and his parents. For the past fourteen years it has been thought that Sirius Black betrayed the Potters, Black's best friends, to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and killed 12 muggles and long time friend Peter Pettigrew with a single curse. But this reporter found out the truth in an exclusive interview with Sirius Black and his godson, the Boy-Who-Lived._

_Continued on page 2…_

Harry smiled as he looked at the cover of the _Daily Prophet._ The trial had gone well the day before and the interview after.

_They walked into the courtroom and an immediate hush fell over the room before all hell broke loose._

"_QUIET!" Amelia's voice could be heard over everyone. "Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot I bring before you Peter Pettigrew, who was believed to be dead, and Sirius Black, a man I discovered was wrongfully imprisoned." Amelia pulled out the transcript from her interview with Sirius and tapped it with her wand and it copied and was sent to everyone in the room. "What was just given to you is the interrogation I conducted with Sirius Black under Veritaserum. As you read the file please note that Sirius Black was NOT the Secret Keeper and was framed by Peter Pettigrew. Now I shall have Auror Shacklebolt give Pettigrew Veritaserum and we can proceed with the interrogation." As Harry looked around he saw several people lean forward in interest._

"_State your name."_

"_Peter Pettigrew."_

"_When were you born?"_

"_March 9, 1960."_

"_Were you the Potters' Secret Keeper?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Did you betray them to Voldemort?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Did you kill the twelve muggles with a blasting curse?"_

"_Yes."_

"_How did you escape?"_

"_I turned into my animagus form and escaped in the sewer."_

"_Where did you go after you escaped?"_

"_To go into hiding with a wizarding family."_

"_Are you or have you ever been a Death Eater?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Are you currently loyal to the Dark Lord?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Give him the antidote." Kingsley gave the antidote to Pettigrew as the Wizengamot deliberated._

"_All those in favor of sending Sirius Black back to receive the Dementor's Kiss?" Augusta Longbottom asked, voice enhanced by a _Sonorus_ charm. A woman that looked like a toad and was sitting next to Fudge was the only one that raised her hand._

"_All those in favor of clearing Sirius Black of all charges and giving full compensation?" Every hand besides the toad lady's, some of the darker families' and Fudge's all raised. Sirius let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding._

"_All those in favor of administering the Dementor's Kiss on Peter Pettigrew?" Every single hand was raised besides the toad's. Harry kept a calm exterior but on the inside he was cheering but he still felt pity for the man in front of him._

"_Let it be known that as of today August the 17__th__ of the year 1995, Sirius Orion Black is acquitted of all charges and shall be giving full compensation for his time in Azkaban prison and shall not be fined for being an illegal animagus. Let it also be known that Peter Andrew Pettigrew has been declared guilty of all charges brought against him and shall receive the Dementor's Kiss immediately. I now declare the emergency meeting of the Wizengamot, called by Madam Amelia Bones, dismissed."_

_As the Aurors brought the stunned Pettigrew, who had begun to squirm and was stunned so he would not change into his rat form and escape, Madam Bones turned to Sirius._

"_I assume that you will be filing for guardianship over Mr. Potter."_

"_He can't," Harry told the head of the DMLE before Sirius could say anything. "I'm emancipated," he offered as an explanation then turned to his godfather. "I'll let you have your interview with Skeeter and meet you in the Atrium?" Sirius nodded. Harry excused himself by saying that he had some errands to run and left the courtroom to go to the lift. On the way he was hoping that he wouldn't run into Fudge._

_The Fates were cruel to him._

"_Well, well, well," Harry heard the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy. "It is a surprise to see _you _here Potter." Harry took a deep breath and prayed that his lessons over the summer wouldn't fail him now. He turned and said "I could say the same to you Mr. Malfoy. Hello Minister," and raised an eyebrow at the money bag Malfoy had with him. Malfoy glared at him. This man thought he could intimidate Harry? Intimidate Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived, the person who had dueled with Voldemort, killed Slytherin's legendary monster, _AND_ endured countless Potions lessons with Snape? The man couldn't hold a candle to the glare of a house elf much less a basilisk. But sadly Harry didn't find it appropriate to laugh and turned cold, killing curse green eyes on the minister._

"_I hope you don't make any more mistakes Minister; otherwise your remaining time in office will shorten dramatically." Fudge couldn't meet Harry's eyes and fear shone very clearly in the Minister's body language but he puffed himself up, straightened his bowler hat and replied, "Are you threatening me boy?"_

_Perhaps it was the way Fudge said "boy" so very similarly to his Uncle or the stupidity of the man in front of him or just being in the general presence of these two people, but you could see Harry's magic flare behind his eyes and the temperature around the three people dropped to a temperature that would make a Dementor proud. "No Minister," Harry said in a cold voice to match the temperature, "I don't make threats, I make promises." Fudge shivered as a wave of déjà vu flashed through Harry and he turned to the Death Eater. Harry took delight in seeing the way Malfoy wouldn't look him directly in the eye. "You can tell your Lord that he should watch his step. Tell Tom that I'll be coming for him. I don't know when but I will be and when I do, the gloves are coming off. Good day Minister," Harry turned on his heel and began walking again._

"_Why you little-" Malfoy stopped reaching for the cane that held his wand when Harry stopped walking and the temperature dropped even more. Fudge even stopped spluttering and generally making himself look like even more of an idiot._

"_Oh and Malfoy, if you don't tell him I will know. I do have my sources," Harry said without even turning around and began walking again. He had a meeting with an Unspeakable to get to._

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HPHPHPHHPHPHPHPHPHP

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"Did you see the article in the _Prophet_ this morning?" Harry asked his godfather as he walked into the kitchen where Harry was enjoying the tea.

"Why yes, yes I did," Sirius grinned at Harry. "What surprises me most though is that Skeeter stuck to the truth mostly."

Harry smirked at Sirius. "I may or may not have some dirt on our favorite reporter." Before Sirius could say anything he had a sudden thought. "Have you heard from Remus?"

"Yes. He'll be coming over later to talk to you." Harry nodded absently. "What about Narcissa?"

"Just waiting for her to write back. Have you talked to Neville?"

"Yeah. He's working on growing the herbs."

"You know, you look different today," Sirius said looking at Harry trying to find out what was different. Harry looked at him amused waiting. "Oh I got it, you're wearing glasses today!" Harry nodded at him. "Why are you wearing your glasses?"

"I kinda get tired of poking myself in the eye. The glasses tend to be more comfortable when I don't plan on staring anyone down." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Is it more intimidating when I glare at you like this?" Harry glared at Sirius from behind his black, plastic frames. "Or like this?" He took his glasses off, pushed a little bit of magic behind his eyes, making them glow, and glared at Sirius. He shivered.

"Without the glasses," Sirius agreed.

"My glasses also make me look smarter as well." Sirius chuckled.

They sat in silence until they heard people running down the stairs and into the kitchen that was currently being occupied by Harry and Sirius.

"SIRIUS BLACK! HOW IRRERSPONSIBLE CAN YOU BE? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Molly Weasley yelled as she stormed into the kitchen, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins following closely behind.

"Is there something wrong Molly?" Sirius questioned looking at the irate redhead a feeling of déjà vu swept over him. The twins chuckled and leaned against the wall next to the door.

"IS THERE-YES THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG! HOW COULD YOU BE SO-SO-STUPID! HOW COULD YOU PUT HARRY IN SO MUCH DANGER? AND YOU WANT TO BE HIS GUARDIAN?"

Sirius stood up as Harry sat back; Sirius deserved to defend himself. Again. "Watch yourself Molly you are in _my _home. You have absolutely _no_ right whatsoever-" Dumbledore entering the kitchen cut Sirius off.

"Molly is correct Sirius. It was extremely irresponsible of you to leave the safety of Grimmauld Place. And to take Harry with you, to endanger him as you did. You took him out of a safe house to the very place where Voldemort's" -the Weasleys flinched- "followers are, _without_ protection for him. I am very disappointed in you."

"Excuse me I am in the room you know. I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me if I wasn't here," Harry interjected before Sirius could do something Harry would be pissed at. Like kick them out. Harry couldn't afford that, he needed them at Grimmauld, where he could keep an eye on him.

They all turned to Harry. "Oh and professor, as I have already made clear, I can protect myself. I do not need a guard and if I find out that you have placed one, you will be one person short of your little vigilante group."

"You had lost control over your magic last time, my boy. You were feeling very strong emotions," Dumbledore tried to tell Harry with a grandfatherly air about him.

"You wanna bet, _Headmaster?_ What does a guy have to do to be listened to around here? Kill someone?" There were a few gasps around the room as Harry threw the idea of killing someone out there. "If I do have to kill someone, I suggest you make it someone you don't need."

"Harry you wouldn't really kill someone, would you?" Ginny questioned.

"Potter lacks the skill or reason to kill someone," the resident dungeon bat drawled as he swept in from-what Harry mused was- his nightly turning into a bat.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? I'd kill you for a Klondike bar. I've killed far better men for less."

Snape sneered at him. "Somehow I doubt that. Just as arrogant as your father."

"Oh my- Holy Christ man. Get over it. He was a better person than you. The way you always go on about my father would suggest you were in love with him," Harry shuddered and muttered "bad mental image."

"Since my morning was ruined already by you people, I'm leaving. I'll see you later Sirius? Fred? George?" All three people nodded at him and Harry was out the kitchen door, then the front door, and finally on the way to a nearby café to eat breakfast with some of his friends from camp.

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HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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The rest of the week passed with Sirius being in the public eye as much as possible so people would get used to seeing the ex-convict in public and so he could avoid the Order. Harry seemed to share the same ideology and spent as much time as he could with his friends from camp, the twins, Bill, Fleur, and Neville. It was pure luck that Harry was even in the same room as the others when the Hogwarts letter arrived.

As Harry skipped the letter, there really was no difference except Harry needed _The Standard Book of Spells: Year 5_ and _Defensive Magical Theory_.

"I wonder who the defense teacher will be this year," Sirius said as he read the booklist over Harry's shoulder.

"Probably some Ministry lackey if the book is anything to go by. It's a complete waste of money but I'm required to buy it. Doesn't necessarily mean I'll use it as anything other than a pillow but yeah."

"Do you want to go to Diag-"

"Yes," Harry cut Sirius off before he even finished the sentence. Sirius chuckled softly. Before they were able to continue their conversation, mostly likely about what other books Harry was going to buy, they were interrupted by a squeal. They turned around and saw Ron staring at something in his hand like he'd never seen it before.

"Oh no-"

"-Ickle Ronniekins has-"

"-Forever gone over to-"

"-The Dark Side-"

"-Being made a Prefect, honestly." Harry snorted. He had expected Dumbledore to make Ron a prefect. Wouldn't want to lose his pet weasel.

"5 galleons say it made Malfoy a prefect."

"But Sirius, that would be a fool's bet and I am certainly no fool. Probably made Parkinson one as well instead of two people that would make good prefects like Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini."

"What do you plan on doing in Diagon?"

"Buying the books, new robes, buy more books that are actually helpful, might buy some Gamble and Japes products, hang with Neville and Katie,"

"Katie?" Sirius questioned, Harry had never mentioned a Katie before.

"Mmhmm. One of my friends since I was a firstie and she was a second year. She's a chaser on the Gryff's quidditch team as well."

"So you know her pretty well?"

"Yup!" Harry popped the 'p.'

"Is love in the air for the young Potter?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows at Harry, causing a light blush to grace his cheeks and throw his head back in laughter.

"Not as of right now there isn't."

"Well damn, you didn't take the bait. At least I got you to blush."

"I am deeply sorry Sirius for ruining your fun. It was far too mature for delicate senses."

"Damn straight."

* * *

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

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Harry entered Kings Cross with Neville and Augusta Longbottom and walked up the barrio to Platform 9 ¾. He and Neville leaned against the barrier deeply in conversation about their summer project. They stumbled out to the other side.

"Let's go find a compartment Harry." Neville told Harry as he waved at a few others.

"Lead the way Nev." They walked down the train trying to find a compartment so far none were empty. They were near the end of the train when they saw a compartment with only one person inside. It was a girl with dirty blonde hair wearing her school uniform, reading an upside down magazine. Harry stopped walking abruptly as Neville kept going.

"Wait Nev, let's sit here." Neville turned around and looked in the compartment. He looked at Harry then the compartment and back to Harry nervously.

"Harry do you know who that is?"

Harry looked at him blankly. "Not a clue Nev."

"That's Loony Lovegood, Harry." Harry frowned at his brother in all but blood.

"You did not just say that to me Neville. Did you really just call her Loony?"

"It's what people call her Harry."

"And if everyone decided to jump off the Astronomy Tower, is that enough of a reason for you to do it?"

"No," there was a pause as Harry just looked at Neville. Neville sighed, "I get it. So you want to sit here?"

"Yeah, she looks kind of lonely." Harry then slowly opened the compartment door and knocked on it. "Do you mind if me and my friend sit here?"

Luna looked up in surprise. "Go ahead." The two boys sat in the compartment. Luna looked at Harry carefully, large grey eyes peering at him carefully. "You're Harry Potter."

Harry looked at her in amusement. At least she hasn't looked at his scar yet. "I know."

"It's good to see the wrackspurts are no longer surrounding you." She then turned her sights to Neville. "I don't know who you are."

"Nobody. I'm nobody," Neville said hastily. Harry rolled his eyes at his friend.

"This is Neville Longbottom. And you are?"

"Luna."

"Luna," Harry repeated. She smiled at him brightly; glad he didn't call her Loony like everyone else. "What are you reading?" She smiled at him again and started to tell him about the Quibbler and the stories on the inside and of course, the Crumple Horned Snorkack.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to go find some of the other lions, specifically the ones younger than me. Maybe reassure the firsties while I'm at it," Harry told the other two as he stretched.

He made his way down the train looking into the compartments for any familiar faces. As he glanced he spotted a group that he knew to contain a few third year Gryffs. He knocked on the compartment door then opened it and made his way in and shut the door. From his glance at the group in the compartment, they were all third years, half of them Gryffindors and the other half were Ravenclaws.

"Hello," he said gently as to keep from startling them. They looked at him in suspicion.

"Are we in trouble?" the Gryffindor that had caught his eye asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "Is there a reason you should be in trouble?"

"No!" All of them said hurriedly. Harry looked at them in suspicion but decide to let it go for now.

"What are you doing in here then?" the Gryffindor Harry recognized as Michael Platt asked.

"What? Can't I see how a few of my house members are faring? I don't know if you recall but 'your house becomes your family,'" Harry said in a rather good impersonation of McGonagall. It seemed to break the ice and a few of them laughed. Harry smiled at them all.

"You've never checked before."

Harry looked at the third year. "Well I've been a bit slow and a bad house mate huh?" he glanced at them all again. "So there actually was something I wanted to talk to you all about, if that's alright."

The third years all shared a look then Michael nodded at Harry. "Can I sit here?" he asked a Ravenclaw as he pointed to a seat next to her. She looked up at him, blushed and nodded as she looked away. He smiled at her, "Thanks Sophie." She looked at him in surprise.

"You know my name?" Harry gave her a mock offended look.

"Why yes, of course I know your name. I wouldn't be a very good classmate if I didn't know your name." He looked at all of them as he got serious again.

"As I'm sure all of you know, I'm Harry Potter. Bloody scar is pretty damn obvious as to who I am. I also know that you all remember what happened last year at the end of the tournament and most likely have parents that read the _Prophet_. I don't know if your parents believe me or if they believe the smear campaign that the Ministry is doing right now and I don't know if you share the same beliefs. People will probably tell you that you're too young to know or ask but you should be told of what's going on and make your decisions and opinions. So if any of you have questions don't be afraid to ask me, okay?" He waited until they nodded before he continued. "You don't have to ask any now, you could ask later," he reassured. "You can ask me anything. Or talk to me about anything and I won't judge as long as you don't judge me back, yeah? I know most of you don't me or really anything about me except the rumors and that is pretty much my own fault but sometimes it's better to talk to a complete stranger and ask for their point of view than asking one of your friends." Harry looked each of them in the eye and waited for them to each give him a sign that they heard what he said. "I have one last serious thing to say and then we can talk about something else. Pretty soon a war is going to break out and you're going to need your friends the most then. You have no idea how glad I was to see Gryffindors sitting with Ravenclaws. I know how it's practically protocol to hate the Slytherins. But I want you to think about something. Most Death Eaters are Slytherins but there are some from other houses. I know of a Gryffindor that is a Death Eater. Now remember Slytherins are hated as soon as they get to school and are ostracized. SO basically we ostracize about one fourth of the population because we do that. How would you feel if that happened to you? Just think about it. Try not to be mean to the younger Slytherins especially the first and second years, try to help them especially if they're lost. Help any first or second year if they are lost. Don't you remember what it was like when you first started school and you were getting lost left and right? Hell, I'm a fifth year and I still get lost. And NO bullying. If I find out that someone from my house was bullying someone, McGonagall and Filch will be the least of your problems do you understand?" Harry stared each of them down, magic making his eyes glow slightly behind his glasses. They gulped and replied with a "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now how many of you are taking Divination?" Half the group raised their hands and predictably they were all Gryffindors. "I recommend that you go to McGonagall and ask her to switch Divination out for something else, I recommend Ancient Runes. Divination is a complete waste of time, you either have the sight or you don't. If you're going to be in school might as well take something useful." The Gryffs nodded. "Alright I'm gonna go now. Tell all your friends from the other houses about what I said as well. Remember if you need help with anything or just need to vent, come find me. I'm told I'm a good listener. I'll see you all at the feast." Harry smiled one last time and left the compartment. As he was leaving he heard one of the Gryffindors, Andrew McGregor, say "I don't think he's mental," followed by a thump which Harry suspected was one of the girls hitting him upside the head. Harry smiled and shook his head as he made his way down the train.

He made several other stops along the way and gave a variant of the speech he had given the first group to each group of Gryffs. He also made sure to talk to all the first years and calm their fears. He completely avoided the compartment that he saw only had Hermione and Ron since all the other Gryffindors were avoiding them when they had heard what they did to Harry. He also made sure to stay away from Cho Chang and her friends too. He did _not_ want to deal with the constantly sobbing girlfriend of his dead friend. Harry turned around and went back to his compartment to eat his lunch that he just got from the trolley. He smiled. He had a feeling that a lot was to come this year and it would be very eventful but it would be a good year in the end.

* * *

**Playlist:**

**"Dance With Devil" Breaking Benjamin**

**"Coming Back Down" Hollywood Undead**

**"My Town" Hollywood Undead**

**"S.C.A.V.A." Hollywood Undead**

**"The Reason" Hoobastank**

**"Titanium" David Guetta**

**"New Divide" Linkin Park**

**"Sell Your Soul" Hollywood Undead**

**"Paradise Lost" Hollywood Undead**

**"Girl on Fire" Alicia Keys**

"**Tangled Up in Me" Skye Sweetnam**

"**Grenade" Bruno Mars**

"**Locked Out of Heaven" Bruno Mars**

"**Riot" Three Days Grace**

"**Candle (Sick and Tired)" The White Tie Affair**

"**Lion" Hollywood Undead**

"**The A-Team" Ed Sheeran**

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**Recommendation: The Godfather's Bond by arwennraven.**

**If you have any recommendations for me that would be great.**

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**Question of the Update: Rank the Harry Potter books in order of Most Favorite to least Favorite. There's also a quote in here from a comedian. See if you spot it. Since it's been so long since I last wrote I'll a hint, it's about killing and it was said by someone in the story not thought or anything.**

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REVIEW!


	8. The Sorting

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

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**WARNING: This story wouldn't take place in the original Harry Potter timeline. It'll be in the more recent time period. There will be bashing, most likely. If you haven't picked that up yet, I don't know what to tell you.**

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**WARNING: This story will be a huge cliché so you have been warned.**

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**Author's Note: Hello my lovelies!**

**Like I said in the previous chapter, I'm not going to list everyone who put me on their favorite's or alerted, nor am I going to answer reviews. I'm not sure if I mentioned it in the last chapter, but someone had pointed out that it beefs up the word count. I honestly didn't mean to do that so I'll be responding to reviews through PM's. Thank you for pointing that out. It's much appreciated. It's not fair to the readers for me to do that. **

**...They changed the site again! I just got used to it and they change it again. *turns head and pouts***

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**PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT!**

**Most of this chapter is pulled from Chapter Eleven of Order of the Phoenix with the sections that were pulled only have slight changes, like instead of "Harry, Ron, and Hermione" it says "Harry, Fred, and George" and an added sentence or two. You can skip over these sections if you really want to. These sections will have ** at the beginning and the end. **This is pulled from the book.** I copied and pasted these sections from a website so you know that I did not type them. I can give you the website if you wish.**

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**Enjoy!**

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The Change, For Better or For Worse.

Chapter Seven: The Sorting

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Harry smiled as he stepped into the castle. He could've sworn that he felt a warm feeling as he passed through the wards that had nothing to do with the fact that he could sense the magic. It had felt more like the castle was welcoming home after so long. Harry shrugged, now that he thought about it the castle probably _was_ welcoming him back. If that was the case he was going to say hello back. If there was one thing he learned at the Dursleys', it was manners. So Harry put his hand on the stone wall of the place that had been his home since he was eleven and channeled his magic into creating a warmth in the palm of his hand and said, "I'm back." Harry shivered as he felt the castle respond. That answered his question.

"Coming Harry?" Neville asked as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder. Harry nodded and followed Neville to the Gryffindor table. They decided to sit toward the end of the table that was closest to the staff table so they could welcome the first years. As they sat Harry noticed all the murmurs and whispers and glances directed toward him. He ignored them as always but what he did notice was that it was mostly the upper years that were whispering. Most of the younger years were looking at him curiously, as their friends had told them about how _The _Harry Potter had known most of their names and talked so casually with them.

"Hey, Harry, have a good holiday?" Alicia Spinnet asked the young Potter as she sat next to him. Harry smiled at his teammate and slipped his arm around her shoulders to pull her into a side hug. She looked at him surprise; Harry really wasn't one for initiating contact in public…or in private for that matter. She mentally shook her head and slipped her arm around his waist to give him a squeeze.

"Why yes, yes I did. Better than previous I can tell you that. How was yours, Leesh?"

"Wonderful. My parents and I went on holiday to the states. Some of the things there are…pretty damn cool actually."

"Glad you think so. I was there as well this summer. Where did you go?"

"Mum and Dad took me to New York City, then we went to a couple of amusement parks down the east coast, went to Hollywood, visited Salem and saw the school there. We also visited a couple of camps."

"Oh yeah? Which parks and camps?"

"Umm, I think it was called Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, Splish Splash on Long Island, and Six Flags Great Adventure but I don't remember where. The camps were all owned by the same people but the one that stuck out most in my mind was called Salem's Wizarding Immersion of Technology Society. You would enjoy it there. It's a branch of the main camp of Salem's Wizarding and Muggle Program."

"That's great! S.W.I.T.S. and S.W.A.M.P. is fantastic. And I know because I was there for basically the whole summer. It also helps that I own it," He finished casually. Neville, Alicia, Katie, the twins, and Angelina, all of which had just joined them, gaped at him. He ignored it as he glanced around at the students awaiting the first years.

"Hey guys," George grabbed everyone's attention. "Who's that at the staff table?" The pack of friends look up to where the twin was looking. Harry's eyes followed his.

**They lit first upon Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. Dumbledore's head was inclined towards the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear. She looked, Harry thought, like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. Then she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet and he saw, with a shock of recognition, a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.

"It's that Umbridge woman!"**

The others looked at him sharply. "Who?"

Harry growled under his breath, of course she would be the one Fudge would send. "She's one of Fudge's lackeys. She was the only one that voted to give Sirius the kiss at his trial. And I'm pretty damn sure that she's the one that sent the Dementors after me this summer. This year is gonna be hell."

"Ooh, I forgot to ask. How did that go with Madam Bones?" Fred asked. Harry smiled at his friend.

"Pretty well actually, she said she's going to look into it to find out who did it." The others, besides Fred, George, Neville, and Katie, looked at him in confusion. "I was attacked by Dementors this summer which you obviously know by now. And probably half the school. I went into Madam Bones' office-didn't put it past Fudge to have tried to put me on trial-to have her question me about my use of underage magic and when she found out about the Dementors, and as they're still firmly under Ministry control, promised to look into which official did it."

"It's a good thing that Fudge forgot about it in the hype the news about Sirius caused," Angelina remarked.

Alicia narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, what a coincidence." Harry gave her the most innocent look he could muster, and he would have succeeded if he didn't start to smirk. Before she could say anything, the first years entered led by McGonagall.

**The first-years' faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling. Harry recalled, fleetingly, how terrified he had felt when he had stood there, waiting for the unknown test that would determine to which house he belonged.

The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:

_In times of old when I was new__  
_

_And Hogwarts barely started__  
_

_The founders of our noble school__  
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_Thought never to be parted:__  
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_United by a common goal,__  
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_They had the selfsame yearning,__  
_

_To make the world's best magic school__  
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_And pass along their learning.__  
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_'Together we will build and teach!'__  
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_The four good friends decided__  
_

_And never did they dream that they__  
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_Might some day be divided,__  
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_For were there such friends anywhere__  
_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?__  
_

_Unless it was the second pair__  
_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?__  
_

_S__o how could it have gone so wrong?__  
_

_How could such friendships fail?__  
_

_Why, I was there and so can tell__  
_

_The whole sad, sorry tale.__Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those__  
_

_Whose ancestry is purest.'__  
_

_Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose__  
_

_Intelligence is surest. '__  
_

_Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those__With brave deeds to their name, '__  
_

_Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,__  
_

_And treat them just the same. '__  
_

_These differences caused little strife__  
_

_When first they came to light,__  
_

_For each of the four founders had__  
_

_A house in which they might__  
_

_Take only those they wanted, so,__  
_

_For instance, Slytherin__  
_

_Took only pure-blood wizards__Of great cunning, just like him,__  
_

_And only those of sharpest mind__  
_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw__  
_

_While the bravest and the boldest__  
_

_Went to daring Gryffindor.__Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,__  
_

_And taught them all she knew,__  
_

_Thus the houses and their founders__  
_

_Retained friendships firm and true.__  
_

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony__For several happy years,__  
_

_But then discord crept among us__  
_

_Feeding on our faults and fears.__  
_

_The houses that, like pillars four,__  
_

_Had once held up our school,__Now turned upon each other and,__  
_

_Divided, sought to rule.__  
_

_And for a while it seemed the school__  
_

_Must meet an early end,__  
_

_What with duelling and with fighting_

_And the clash of friend on friend__  
_

_And at last there came c morning__  
_

_When old Slytherin departed__  
_

_And though the fighting then died out__  
_

_He left us quite downhearted.__And never since the founders four__  
_

_Were whittled down to three__  
_

_Have the houses been united__  
_

_As they once were meant to be.__  
_

_And now the Sorting Hat is here__And you all know the score:__  
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_I sort you into houses__  
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_Because that is what I'm for,__  
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_But this year I'll go further,__  
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_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to split you__  
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_Still I worry that it's wrong,__  
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_Though I must fulfil my duty__  
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_And must quarter every year__  
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_Still I wonder whether Sorting__May not bring the end I fear.__  
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_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,__  
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_The warning history shows,__  
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_For our Hogwarts is in danger__  
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_From external, deadly foes__And we must unite inside her__  
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_Or we'll crumble from within__  
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_I have told you, I have warned you ...__  
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_Let the Sorting now begin.__  
_

The Hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Harry's memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors, and Harry, clapping along with everyone else, knew exactly what they were talking about.

The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts houses and its own role in Sorting them. Harry could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.

"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" said Katie, sounding slightly anxious.

"Yes, indeed," said Nearly Headless Nick knowledgeably, leaning across Neville towards her (Neville winced; it was very uncomfortable to have a ghost lean through you). "The Hat feels itself honour-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels-"

But Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first-years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. Nearly Headless Nick placed a see-through finger to his lips and sat primly upright again as the muttering came to an abrupt end. With a last frowning look that swept the lour house tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out the first name.

"Abercrombie, Euan."

The terrified-looking boy Harry had noticed earlier stumbled forwards and put the Hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted:

"Gryffindor!"

Harry clapped loudly with the rest of Gryffindor house as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again. Harry caught his eye, winked, and smiled to help relax the eleven year old.

Slowly, the long line of first-years thinned. When Ryan Young, Jaklyn's youngest brother was sorted, the boy glanced at the spot he had seen Harry sitting and the older boy's wink gave him a burst of confidence as he was sorted into Ravenclaw and sat near the other first years and his brother, Alex. In the pauses between the names and the Sorting Hat's decisions, Harry could hear Ron's stomach rumbling loudly from his seat several places away, separated from the majority of the Gryffindor group. Finally, 'Zeller, Rose' was Sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands-welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate-for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"What were you saying before the Sorting?" Katie asked the ghost. "About the Hat giving warnings?"

"Oh, yes," said Nick, who seemed glad of a reason to turn away from Ron, whom he had just been watching with disgust as he was now eating roast potatoes with almost indecent enthusiasm. "Yes, I have heard the Hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: stand together, be strong from within."**

"And it wants all the houses to be friends?" Collin Creevey questioned from where he was sitting with his brother. When Nick nodded, one of the other fourth years said, "Well word on the street is that Harry is already getting a jump on it." The group looked at the blushing boy as he ducked his head down in embarrassment.

**When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the Hall was starting to creep upwards again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the Headmaster. Harry was feeling pleasantly drowsy now. His four-poster bed was waiting somewhere above, wonderfully warm and soft ...

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too." (Harry, Fred, and George exchanged smirks.)

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to himself; all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ('hem, hem') and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins. "Not likely," the twins said in unison. The people around them silently giggled before Parvati could be heard.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little 'hem, hem' and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation ..."

Harry found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over on the Ravenclaw table Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out The Quibbler again. Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.

"... because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Harry noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held ..."**

As Dumbledore continued Harry looked at his friends. "Did any of you pay attention to any of that?" All of them shook their heads. Harry nodded in agreement, "Neither did I, but what I did hear was that the Ministry are intefering in Hogwarts." They exchanged grim looks. They all knew what that meant.

"First years will be escorted to their dormitories by their house Prefects." Dumbledore finished. The group of friends were just making it out the door behind the Ravenclaw firsties, when Ryan recognized his sister's friend.

"Harry! I'm a Ravenclaw! A Ravenclaw!" Ryan exclaimed excitedly. When the other first years noticed one of their number stopped, they turned and when they saw who he was talking to, started whispering.

Harry smiled and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "I know, I saw. Tomorrow morning after breakfast I'll give you, and any of your friends, a tour and the easiest ways to classes since tomorrow's Saturday, along with some of my friends to add commentary of course," he added when he was nudged in the back. "Would you like that?"

Ryan nodded excitedly. "Yeah!"

Harry gave the excited boy a genuine smile. "You should go with your prefect now Ry, I'll see you tomorrow."

"'Kay! Bye Harry!" Harry waved as the boy went with the rest of his classmates and turned to his friends. "C'mon let's go. I don't know 'bout you but I'm exhausted." The group tiredly made their way up to the seventh floor. Before they separated he said, "Meeting. Before breakfast." Harry trudged up the rest of stairs and collapsed on his bed as a wave of exhaustion hit him. He felt a wave of magic pass over him and his clothes switched with his pajamas. He hadn't done it so he assumed it was Neville. As he would later find out, it was _not_ Neville but something else that had missed him.

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**A/N#2 Please review!**

**The quote was "I'd kill you for a Klondike bar." from Jeff Dunham's Sparks of Insanity and it was made by Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Congrats to all of you who guessed.**

**The answer to the question in my order is from most favorite to least: 3,1,5,4,7,2,6**

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****Question of the Update: What is your favorite saying?**

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**Recommendation: It's a Harry Potter/Ironman crossover called "HARRY POTTER AND THE INVINCIBLE TECHNOMAGE" by Clell65619. Check it out.**

**If you have any recommendations, let's here it.**


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